Golden Sonnet
by MissSugarQuill
Summary: All Tifa Lockhart was trying to do was finish school and go to university. A chance run-in with one Cloud Strife, however, leading to a feud, a marriage and a lot of squabbling, shows that sometimes, fate has its own plans.
1. The Nibelheim Gardens

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII, its magical world and its awesome characters don't belong to me! This story is also heavily based upon the drama _Sassy/Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang_ from South Korea, so much of the plot also doesn't belong to me. ;) But enjoy anywho!

**Golden Sonnet**

**Chapter One**

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* * *

**

In this world and in this life, there are just some things one cannot succeed at. Not everyone can pick up a guitar and start playing a song. Not everyone can launch themselves off a horse vault and fly gracefully through the air to land upright on their feet. And not everyone can climb up a tree.

"MISS TIFA LOCKHART! What in _heaven's_ name do you think you're doing up that cherry tree? Get down at once - AHH!" Mr Tenoh, the manager of Nibelheim gardens, was the one who had yelled. He was a stout, middle-aged man who was bewildered and shocked to find Tifa up in the tree at all. That is, before the brunette lost her footing and slipped, shrieking with fear before landing unceremoniously on her boss.

"Thanks for getting my frisbee," a little girl beamed, taking the yellow disc out of Tifa's hand.

Tifa inwardly groaned. _Just how do I get in these situations? _she wondered dully.

Tifa Lockhart was well-known in Nibelheim for several things. She was a highly gifted girl, ranked first in the school and determined to continue her studies at the prestigious university in Midgar. She was genuinely sweet and well-mannered, a mother's dream daughter-in-law, not to mention a pretty girl, her wine-brown eyes and dark tresses having played havoc with the hearts of many teenage boys.

Yet, for all her talents, she had never learnt how to climb trees.

The petite girl mused about that as the day came to a close and she walked through the Nibelheim gardens, a pretty, walled-in sanctuary right at the base of the Nibel mountains. It was wonderful to work in a place so beautiful and peaceful, where she could breathe in the fresh mountain air and gaze at the blossoming trees and flowers.

"Hey, Tifa-san!"

Tifa looked round and saw two familiar faces jogging closer to her; Yuffie was the one who had yelled, wearing a broad grin and fairly bouncing up and down in her usual enthusiasm. Vincent stood next to her and gave Tifa a small smile and nod, his hands stuck in his pockets.

"Hi!" Tifa greeted, a little surprised as Yuffie shoved a drink into her hands. "Oh, thank you. What are you two doing here?"

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Last time she saw them (a few hours ago at school), they had promised to study at the library. But then, Yuffie and studying never did exist as a combination. She began to wonder why she had even believed them.

"We're done studying," Vincent said significantly as if he knew what was going on in her mind.

Tifa grinned as they made their way out of the gardens. "Oh really?" she asked slyly. "Just how long did you even spend in the library?"

Yuffie groaned loudly, "Forever, Teef. I'm not lying! Vincent's such a slave driver. He wouldn't let me talk or listen to music or _anything_ for three hours. Just read, read, read, work, work, work." She glared at Vincent as Tifa giggled.

"Hey, I bought you something for it," the tall, dark-haired boy countered, unperturbed. He gestured at the pearl tea she was drinking.

Yuffie sipped it loudly, draining the last drops before tossing it in the trash can.

"Yeah? What was it?" she asked him, eyebrows raised. Vincent just stared at her. Tifa laughed even harder.

"That girl," he murmured as Yuffie skipped on ahead merrily, making the birds on the path flap away in alarm. Tifa smiled ruefully at one of her best friends, hooking her fingers underneath the straps of her school bag.

"Oh well, Vince. You love her for it," she said cheerfully as they ambled after the short, dark-haired girl who was yelling at them to hurry up.

"TIFAAA! VINNIEEE! C'MOOON!"

"If she calls me that one more time..." muttered Vincent, hurrying his stride. Then he shook his head and sighed, seemingly forgetting about it. "How was work?"

"Ohhh..." Tifa blushed and recounted her episode with the girl, the frisbee and the cherry tree. Vincent's mouth was twitching by the end of it, much to her indignation.

"It wasn't funny! Really. I was lucky not to get fired."

"Tifa, all you did was climb up a tree and fall out of it. You're not going to get fired for something like that."

"Yeah, but I _landed_ on my manager - "

"Accidents happen."

"Says the guy who beats himself up at the smallest things."

"Hey, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing..." Tifa said angelically before stopping in her tracks to stare in front of her. "Wh - what is Yuffie doing up there?"

Vincent also looked up ahead and grimaced.

"I'd say she's racing that little boy up the tree," he deadpanned. He gave Tifa a look, "And it's a wonder why you two are best friends."

Tifa made a face, "_Vince_, you're terrible."

Yuffie shrieked then, and both turned to look in alarm as she hung off a branch, only managing to stay airborne by clinging onto it. The little boy she had been rivalling was safely up on a higher branch, reaching his hand out to help her, their race forgotten.

Without a word Vincent tore up to the tree, and Tifa hung back and watched as he held out his arms, coaxing Yuffie to let go of the branch. The brunette grinned to herself as Yuffie finally dropped, landing firmly into Vincent's arms and hugging him close in her hysteria. Despite the two of them being as different as night and day, they got along pretty well and were fonder of one another than either would admit.

Tifa smiled at the sight of them, and yet the thought made her feel strangely lonely. Discarding the feeling, she skipped on ahead to join them and help Vincent calm Yuffie down.

* * *

"To Nibelheim?" yelped Cloud Strife, staring at his father across the dinner table in shock. "_What_?"

"Your father's been promoted there, honey," his mother said fussily as she cleared the table and his father glowered in the distance. "We're moving next week. Just think, dear, a new school, a fresh start - "

"At a place where no one knows about your record," his father added with a growl.

"My _record_?" the blonde teenager repeated indignantly.

"Yes, your record," his father said, glaring directly at his son. "Fighting, causing trouble, suspensions from school - do you think I'm proud, having a son like you? What's the point of being chief of police when my own _flesh_ _and blood_ is famous for his criminal activity?"

Cloud furrowed his brow; he'd heard this lecture several times before and knew the danger signs well, but he still couldn't help it.

"Hey, that's unfair, they were the ones chasing after _me_ today, Dad, I just taught them a lesson or two - "

"And sent them to hospital with injuries!" snapped his father, looking most aggrieved, and Cloud cowered from the other side of the table. Taking a deep breath, Mr Strife shut his eyes and said evenly, "Well, it doesn't matter anymore. We're leaving this city, and Cloud Strife, if you cause _one bit of trouble_ in Nibelheim - "

"I'm not going," said Cloud wildly, folding his arms. "No way. You can't make me."

His father's eyes flew open in a towering rage and he stood up, shouting, "YOU DARE DEFY YOUR PARENTS?" to which Cloud yelped, scrambling out of his seat and making a break for it.

* * *

"So you're really leaving?"

Cloud nodded rigidly, "If I don't wanna be disowned, then I have no choice."

It was night time and the air was cold, but neon lights still shone through the night and the sound of traffic could still be heard. _Midgar... the city that doesn't sleep. _Cloud didn't know if he'd miss the city or not. He'd never thought about being attached to the place, and now that he was leaving...

"What about Aeris?" his friend asked, breaking into his thoughts.

"Forget it," his other friend replied nonchalantly as Cloud's breathing hitched, only very slightly. "It's unrequited, anyway."

Cloud didn't say anything; he stared hard at the ground, his heart beating a little faster. _Get over it, Strife,_ he told himself, but it wasn't that easy. He remembered the other night only too well.

He'd been standing outside her house with a bunch of flowers, waiting for her to come home... only to see her being dropped off by her older boyfriend. The embrace she'd given the guy made Cloud throw the flowers in the bin and run back home to mope in his bedroom for the rest of the night. He hadn't seen or talked to her since, but she probably didn't even realise. Aeris only saw him as a younger brother.

Cloud grimaced. _So this is my life_, he thought demurely, fiddling with a twig. Leaving Midgar was no big deal. He had no more ties with the city, despite having grown up in it. Aeris was the only person he cared about and he had an answer to that problem already.

He gave a grim smile, threw the twig to the ground and hopped off the wall.

_Nibelheim, here I come._

_

* * *

_

The next week was spent in a frenzy of packing and unpacking and his mother squabbling with the removalists, until Cloud found himself stuck in the backseat of a car, leaving the sprawling metropolis behind. His mother kept exclaiming out loud about how beautiful the scenery was and his father was in a good mood, smiling and whistling as he drove. Cloud rolled his eyes and stared listlessly out of the window. Compared to Midgar, this place was almost like the sticks.

During the first few days in Nibelheim, Cloud stayed cooped up in his new bedroom, lying on his bed and letting his thoughts roam free. He stared blankly at the photograph of his family standing on the bedside table. Peeking out behind it was a picture of him and Aeris.

The blonde sighed and turned his back on them.

Cloud had spent a lot of his life running away (literally) from his dad. They didn't get along, to put it mildly. Cloud buried his face into the pillow, listening to the birds twitter and chirp outside his window. It wasn't as if he didn't appreciate his father or what he did - Phillip Strife was chief of police, a famous office who fought for justice and to prevent criminal activity.

Cloud, on the other hand, had a talent for getting into trouble. He wasn't really a bad kid. Just a little irresponsible and easily provoked. His father thought he was plain arrogant and rebellious. _Cloud _thought his father was harsh and impossible to please. Oh, the woes of parenthood and teenagehood.

The door creaked ajar and his mother peeked in. She looked at her son as only a mother could, a mixture of affection, irritation and patience, and walked in.

"Cloud," she called gently, pulling back the covers. "Cloud, dear, get up. It's a beautiful day. Go out and take a walk."

"Ugh... mum, leave me alone," came his muffled reply, tugging the cover back over his head. "I don't wanna take a walk. I wanna sleep."

Mrs Strife clicked her tongue impatiently and pulled the blanket back again. "Cloud Strife, you can't sleep all day. It's afternoon already. Come on, get up and go to the oriental gardens here. Take some photos for me."

Cloud groaned and lifted his head blearily.

"Why don't you just go there, mum?" he asked in a fuzzy voice.

"Because there's still unpacking to be done. Go on, be a good a boy, all right?" she said imploringly. Cloud groaned his assent, his eyes half-closed, and she patted his cheek fondly.

"Ooh, look at you. And to think you're such a good-looking boy when you're awake."

Cloud grinned sheepishly, "Aren't I good-looking when I'm half-asleep, mum?"

She chuckled and tapped his cheek, "Don't you start, Cloud Strife. I can be as scary as your father sometimes."

Cloud snorted into his pillow when she had left the room.

"No one can be as scary as that man," he mumbled.

In an hour, Cloud was up and dressed, his blonde hair falling in its trademark spiky fashion and attracting a few intrigued stares that he was oblivious to. Cloud ambled around the streets of Nibelheim with an air of wonder; it was a busy town with shopping plazas and business districts like Midgar, but the air was sweet and clean, there were trees and green grass and flowers, and the people in general _walked_ slower and looked more at peace with the world. It was nice, in a way, a contrast to the harrowed, frenzied lifestyle of those in Midgar.

"You'd love this, Aeris," Cloud murmured, pulling out of his phone and taking pictures. "Wish you were here."

The Nibelheim oriental gardens _were_ very pretty, even Cloud had to admit as he strolled past cherry trees and the grand pond at the centre, alive with frogs and tadpoles and goldfish. A wooden bridge spanned over the pond and people were content to just stand there, gazing dreamily into the water. It was just like a traditional garden back in the ancient times.

Meanwhile, a certain brunette was making her way to the garden, her mind full of the maths test she had just done that day at school. She had left Yuffie and Vincent back at the ice cream parlour, knowing full well how long Yuffie would spend in there, moping about failing the test. Tifa couldn't wait to go home and tell her father about how it had went, but Mr Lockhart wouldn't be home till late that night. He was a doctor whose work schedule was always chaotic and unpredictable.

Tifa looked up at the high wall that surrounded the gardens and then glanced down towards the official entrance, which was more than a hundred yards away. She decided to jump the wall rather than walk all the way around; after all, there was no admission fee into the gardens and the stone wall wasn't _too_ high up.

The brunette hoisted herself onto a nearby tree (what was with her and trees these days?) and leapt off it, her foot catching the top of the wall and pushing off it to gain momentum.

For a split second she was airborne - and in that second Tifa realised, too late, that there was someone standing below her, holding his phone up to the sky as if taking a picture. She stared at him. Cloud stared back with wide, vividly blue eyes, not quite believe what he was seeing - and then they were both yelling as she began falling, knocking him right over as she landed on him.

"Ughhh..."

Groggily, Tifa pulled herself up and peered at the unlucky guy. He was groaning, his eyes scrunched shut. In that fraction of a second before his eyes opened, she thought that he was quite good-looking, with bizarre blonde hair and a finely sculpted face. Then he opened his eyes and all other thoughts flew out of her mind as she stared into the bright blue pools, so bright they were hypnotic.

At least, she _felt_ hypnotised.

Tifa gave herself a mental shake and jumped off him, flustered. He also climbed to his feet while she straightened her skirt - and as she did, his phone fell out from underneath. Frowning, Tifa picked it up and looked at the photo on the screen that had just been taken. Her eyes widened with mortification and her mouth formed a perfect O.

Realising what had happened, Cloud started shaking his head in a panicked frenzy. "No - no, I wasn't!" he protested, backing away from her.

"You - you _pervert_!" gasped Tifa, lunging at him and hitting whatever part she could reach. Amidst the flurry of clothing and limbs, her school bag slipped off and she began swinging that around as a weapon.

"No - ow - _ow_ - OW!" Cloud spluttered helplessly, his arms flung up to defend himself. "Hey - just hear me out - _ouch_ - stop - "

There was no room for patience or rational thought in Tifa's boggling mind as she hit and kicked him repeatedly, the two tracing out a sort of circle as she advanced and he kept backing away. Tifa Lockhart was also renowned for her individual and independent streak that sometimes translated into a scary temper.

Finally Cloud flung her off, yelling, "HEY! Just listen to me for a sec!"

Quite out of breath and huffing, Tifa put her hands on her hips and glowered up at him. Cloud's hair was messed up as he spluttered, partly in shock and indignation, "Look, I think _I'm_ the victim here. I was the one just standing here innocently when you - you appeared out of nowhere!"

"_You_ the victim?" scoffed Tifa, waving his phone in the air wildly. "Then explain how _your_ phone was under my skirt!"

Cloud cringed, "Don't say it like that!"

Tifa looked at him disdainfully, "What, you can't even bear to hear as it is? Pervert!"

"Stop calling me that!" Cloud yelled, his patience wearing thin. He eyed her warily as she glared at his phone as though it had done her a grave, personal offence. "Look, this is all just a really bad misunderstanding - "

Tifa wasn't listening. With one last shriek of frustration she threw his phone to the ground and stomped on it.

_THUD._

Cloud's eyes stretched to the moon and back as he stared at his broken cell phone, lying in pieces on the concrete. He picked it up, a horrified expression permanently etched on his face.

Tifa's haughty look showed no remorse whatsoever, even when he stared at her in absolute consternation.

"Let that be a lesson to you. I'm leaving now," she said loftily, and she turned on her heel and walked away.

Cloud stared, paralysed on the spot, his mouth half-open in shock.

"HEY!" he yelled when his senses finally caught up with him. He bolted after her, grabbed her arm and yanked none-too-gently, making her shriek.

"What now?"

"You - you just can't do this to somebody's phone! Here," Cloud shoved the pieces into her hands and demanded, "Compensate me."

Tifa snorted and pushed the phone back to him, making him blink at her in a jarred manner. "You're lucky I'm not pressing charges for sexual harassment," she said acidly, turning away once more.

Cloud absolutely could not believe the nerve of her.

Was this the typical Nibelheim-bred kind of girl?

"Sexual harassment?" he repeated incredulously, chasing after her. She didn't stop so he had to pursue her out of the gardens. "You - you - you're incorrigibly _stubborn_! Hey, listen to me!" Cloud forced her to stop and face him when they were at the entrance, and Tifa sighed, "_What_?"

Cloud took a deep breath and in a voice of forced calm said, "Look, I don't know what you're so angry about - I was just taking pictures of the trees when _you_ jumped that friggin' wall and landed on me."

"So you're blaming me?"

"Yes!"

There was a tense silence.

"You've got some nerve, Spiky," was her rejoinder.

_SPIKY?_

Cloud was left there, fuming, as she walked away once again. "FINE!" he yelled after her. "I'll just file charges for slander, abuse and _compensation for my phone_!"

Tifa closed her eyes, counted to five, then turned back around. "Why can't you just drop it?" she asked wearily. She was tired and sick of arguing with this guy and just wanted to go home.

Cloud studied her critically for a moment as silence reigned. Then, sighing heavily, he ordered, "Lend me your phone."

"What? Why?" Tifa asked warily.

"I need to call my mum. She worries if I don't call," he said matter-of-factly. Tifa hesitated before, feeling a stab of guilt, she passed over her own phone. He grabbed it rudely and started dialing. As he began talking, he shoved his own broken phone into her hands and wandered towards the road. Tifa huffed, watching him with narrowed eyes.

"Someone needs to teach that boy some manners," she murmured.

"Mum?" Cloud was saying. "Yeah, I'm fine... I know, I know, some girl broke my phone... no, I wasn't fighting! Yeah... fine... _okay_, Mum..."

Still aggrieved, Tifa watched him closely as he moved closer and closer to the taxis waiting on the side of the road - and she realised what was happening too late. She made a noise of protest and ran forward, crying, "Hey, wait!" just as the blonde jumped into the cab and it sped off. Poking his head out the window, Cloud sent her a grin and waved fleetingly, "Call me when you get my phone fixed!"

Tifa could only stare after him, astounded and reeling with too many emotions at once. She looked down at the phone in her hands and then looked away again, huffing with disbelief.

"What a day."

* * *

A/N: I adore this drama and couldn't resist writing a Cloti spin-off based upon it. ;) Watch it, watch it, it's hilarious and heart-warming! And please review for me. You know you want to. xD - msq.


	2. Eventful Encounters

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII and the Korean drama _Sassy Girl Choon-Hyang_. ;)

**Golden Sonnet**

**Chapter Two**

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* * *

**

_Beep, beep, BEEP._

"Ugh..."

_Beep, beep, BEEP._

Cloud groped blindly around for the phone, in an attempt to silence it while most of his senses were still muffled into his pillow.

_Beep, beep, BEEP._

"Ugh, I'm up, I'm up!" Kicking sheets everywhere, he sat up and glared at the offending device. Still half-asleep with his hair sticking up in every direction, Cloud grabbed the phone and read the new message waiting in the inbox.

_Your phone's fixed. Meet at the entrance of the gardens today._

For a moment the blonde sat there, baffled as the sleep slowly cleared from his mind. Then he smirked, "Ah, so she fixed it. Good girl." Tossing the phone onto his bed and collapsing back into his mess of blankets, he let out a yawn and turned on his side, vaguely thinking about how inconvenient life had been without his phone.

With another yawn, Cloud turned onto his back again, looking up at the ceiling with a small smile. He had to admit he was a little surprised that she had fixed the phone so quickly. Sure, she _had_ been the one to wreck it (he cringed as he remembered the way she had stomped on it without mercy), but he still didn't think she would follow through with his demand so readily. Not when he had ran off with _her _phone.

Cloud grinned again, remembering the stunned and indignant look on her face. _Maybe Nibelheim's not gonna be so boring after all._

Two hours later he was wandering up and down the entrance of the Nibelheim gardens, collar turned up and his hands deep in his pockets in an effort to keep warm. The mist around the Nibel mountains had brought down its usual morning chill and he was starting to feel impatient... and _cold_.

"C'mon, where is she?" he complained out loud, just as the phone in his pocket began to ring. Shivering and irritable, Cloud answered it, "Hey, where are you? You're late."

"Right in front of you," her clear voice replied, and he frowned, squinting to look across the road. There she was, standing there with an angelic smile and waving at him with her free hand. Cloud relaxed and had to admit he was relieved to see her. At the same time, he realised that she was by no means unpleasant to look at.

"So you fixed it, did you?" he spoke into the phone, keeping an eye on her across the road.

"Yeah," Tifa said, sounding rather innocent. "Your phone's really nice, you know," she continued sweetly. "It can take videos and even connect to the internet."

Cloud had to smirk, "What, did you think it was like your own phone?" He paused and frowned, "You fixed my phone _and_ you're complimenting it? Does this mean you forgive me for running off yesterday?"

Cars zoomed past on the busy road separating them and Tifa's angelic smile broadened. "No, not really," she said, still saccharine sweet, and his smirk faltered. "But it's true that your phone is really nice. That's why I'm going to use it from now on. You can use mine."

That completely wiped the smirk off Cloud's face.

"Wh - what?" he stammered, and watched with great trepidation as she began laughing and pulling faces at him across the road. _That little..._ "Hey - you - !" Outraged, Cloud made to sprint across the road, but several cars speeding past made him back away. "You stay right there!" he hollered, pointing a finger at her.

"By the way, I fixed your phone for free on your warranty," Tifa added mischievously. As his mouth formed the perfect O just as hers had yesterday, she laughed merrily and made another face at him.

A bus pulled in on her side of the street just as Cloud, yelling, "H - HEY!", seized his chance and dashed across the road. Her eyes widened and she ran to catch the bus, climbing onto it just as he made it to the other side. As the bus drove off, Cloud ran after it and Tifa poked her head out of the window. Her long brown hair streamed in the wind as she called out merrily.

"Your name's Cloud Strife? It was nice to meet you!" Tifa poked her tongue out at him, and as the bus gathered speed and lost sight of the blonde chasing after it, the brunette settled back in her seat with a sigh of content. By no means had she forgiven _Spiky_ for the stunt he had pulled yesterday. Usually, Tifa was a nice person full of forgiveness and second-chances. But there was something about this - _boy _- that got her riled up and made her want to punish him.

The stylish silver phone in her hand buzzed just a minute later.

_TIFA LOCKHART - yes, I know your name too. JUST WAIT TILL I FIND YOU. Be afraid!_

Tifa smiled impishly and was about to reply when the phone started to ring. The name _Aeris_ flashed across the screen and she hesitated for a second before picking up. "Hello?" she said uncertainly.

Back at the gardens, one Cloud Strife was pacing along the bridge, too hot-headed and incensed to make a rational decision.

"That girl is going to give me a stroke," he muttered, finally depositing himself on a bench below a willow tree. He took out her phone and was about to punch in his own number when a wonderful, glorious, vengeful idea came to him. A wicked grin unfurled across his handsome face as he dialed a friend's number instead.

"Hey, Bill?" Cloud said casually, leaning back on the tree. "Yeah... this is my new number. We can talk all we want; I have free minutes. Oh, nah, it doesn't matter if it's a long distance call. Even better, actually..."

"Why didn't you return Aeris' call, man?"

Cloud's relaxed smile faltered, "Aeris... called me?"

"Yeah, just a little while ago. She said some girl picked up. Who is she?"

The earlier adrenalin of vengeance had quite depleted now. "Oh, she's... nobody," Cloud muttered, all the zest gone out of him. "I'll talk to you later." He hung up and stared into space, sullen and moody. _When I get my hands on her... I really need my phone back. _He groaned and looked up at the blue sky. _Where is that girl?_

Determined, Cloud scrolled through her list and pinpointed a likely-looking contact. Dialling the number, he put the phone to his ear and asked, "Where's Tifa Lockhart?"

"What?" the low, stoic voice of Vincent Valentine replied. "Who are _you_?"

"Oh," Cloud said pleasantly. He got up and started dawdling along the bridge; walking helped him lie. "I'm someone who picked up her phone. I found it at the Nibelheim gardens. Do you know where I can find her so I can return it?"

"Ah," Vincent said. He gave the name of a restaurant and Cloud thanked him enthusiastically before hanging up. The blonde grinned with triumph, piercing the phone with a deadly blue-eyed gaze as if it was the owner itself.

"I got you now, Tifa Lockhart," he said deviously. Cloud paused for a moment, then ranted, "Why is she even called Tifa? It's such a nice, sweet sounding name, and then you realise a _dragon_ lies behind it..." He shuddered, shoved the phone in his pocket and went on his way.

* * *

When it was Yuffie Kisaragi's birthday, everyone had to drop what they were doing and celebrate it with her. Doctor appointments? Family commitments? Going into surgery that day? Nope, don't think so. Yuffie came first; everything fell after her.

This year, however, the spoilt girl only felt like a small celebration with her two closest friends. She was tired of all the big parties and the gargantuan cakes that never got finished, and insisted instead on just having lunch with the two she cared most about. Tifa and Vincent had always stuck with her and - she knew she was disconsolately annoying - had always put up with her with enormous patience.

Tifa got off at the bus stop in town and hastened to the restaurant where she found Yuffie. As they waited for Vincent, she told the entire story to Yuffie who was deeply impressed by her behaviour and gave Tifa a high-five. This made Tifa wonder if she had done such a great thing after all. Anything Yuffie approved of made her wary.

"Where is he?" Yuffie whined, a party hat perched on her head. She looked around for Vincent in the semi-crowded restaurant; a talent quest was happening at the front stage as part of the afternoon entertainment and some teenagers were doing a dance.

Tifa hid a smile, "He'll be here soon, birthday girl. Don't worry. Vincent is a punctual boy."

"Hmph," Yuffie didn't look convinced. "He's almost la - VINNIE!"

Vincent had appeared, wearing a rare smile and holding out a neatly-wrapped gift. "Since it's your birthday, I'll let you call me that today," was his greeting, sliding into the seat beside Yuffie. She flashed her pearly whites at him.

Tifa grinned, "She calls you that everyday, _Vinnie_. That's not gonna stop her."

The three sang and clapped happily as Yuffie blew out the candles on her small cake. Then they chattered away in their usual fashion (Yuffie saying everything on her mind, Vincent speaking only with purpose, and Tifa striking a balance) as they ate their favourite dishes and watched performers up on stage for the talent quest.

"Ah, I'm so happy this year," Yuffie said blissfully as Vincent scraped away the coriander on her food, just like he always did. Yuffie hated coriander.

Vincent smirked a little, "You say that every year on your birthday."

"But I really am!"

Tifa smiled, "What makes this year different?"

Yuffie looked at both of them, then gave a little, mysterious and semi-shy smile that didn't appear often. "Oh, you wouldn't understand," she said in a sing-song way. Vincent and Tifa glanced at each other as Yuffie lifted her glass of apple cider, "C'mon, let's have a toast for me!"

"Alright," said Tifa, lifting up her glass as well; Vincent followed suit. "To Yuffie Kisaragi, happy birthday for another year. We've been blessed to have her as a dear friend and sister. May we celebrate with her many more times this happy occasion."

They clinked their glasses together and drank, Vincent murmuring, "That sounded almost like a funeral speech."

"And_ that_ sounds like it also belongs to a memorial service," added Yuffie, referring to the singer up on stage. She looked meaningfully at Vincent but he wasn't paying attention. He had suddenly remembered something.

"Hey Tifa," he said as they continued eating. "Did you lose your phone?"

Tifa furrowed her brow and once again felt a tiny prick of guilt as she glanced at the silver phone in her bag. "Well... it's a long story," she said hesitantly. "Why?"

"Because some guy called me on your number. He said he found your phone and wanted to return it. And... I told him you'd be here - whoa!"

The raven-haired girl had stood up suddenly, her eyes wide as she exclaimed, "You _what_, Vince?", just as Yuffie also cried, "Why'd you tell him, Vin? Bad move!"

Vincent blinked, "What - what's the big deal? He was calling on your number and I thought he might as well turn up here then somewhere more private like your home - "

"That means he's coming here," Tifa moaned, peering out of the windows. She picked up her jacket and bag hurriedly, "I've gotta go."

"What, no, you can't just leave now!" Yuffie exclaimed, grabbing her arm and shooting another look at Vincent.

"Why not?"

"Because - because..."

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced the beaming manager up on stage. "A round of applause if you will, for our last contestant for today's special talent quest - Miss Tifa Lockhart!" His words were followed by a round of enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Tifa slowly turned to look at Yuffie and Vincent.

"Because," Yuffie said with a meek smile. "We entered you into the talent quest."

Tifa could only stare at them in a sort of horrified disbelief, "But - _when_?"

"When you were in the bathroom," answered Vincent quickly, who thought it best not to lie.

"Why... why would you do such a thing?"

"Because, Teef, you can actually sing! C'mon, _please_," begged Yuffie, tugging onto Tifa's sleeve and looking at her with puppy-dog eyes. "As my birthday present?"

For a moment Tifa looked at her, then she sighed and said yieldingly, "Okay, fine. But this is also your Christmas present. And you too!" she added for Vincent's benefit.

"But it was Yuffie's idea..."

Dropping her bag and jacket, Tifa made her way up to the stage, trying not to take notice of the many eyes following her. This wasn't her first time singing in front of people, although she had never sung in front of an audience of _this_ size, but she was still nervous and a little shaky as she ascended the stage. The jubilant manager handed her the microphone and she took it with slightly trembling hands, trying to smile.

"Um, hello everyone," Tifa cleared her throat and tried to swallow her nerves. "I'm going to play and sing a song my mother wrote. Thank you everyone for taking the time to listen to it. I... hope you enjoy it." The audience clapped again, Yuffie and Vincent the loudest of all. Smiling and feeling a little more confident, Tifa sat at the piano on stage and began to play the familiar melody. Her voice soon joined in, fluidly matching with the notes of the piano. Yuffie listened with glistening eyes; Tifa's singing always moved her to tears.

As Tifa's soft voice stole over the audience, Cloud walked into the restaurant and looked around swiftly. He waved off a waitress approaching and peered about the crowded area. "Why is this girl always so hard to find?"

He kept looking around, randomly glancing at tables and was about to consider ringing his number when he noticed the beautiful song and voice that was filling up the room. Cloud stopped moving and looked up towards the stage in the distance. As he let the melody wash over him, his expression softened a little and a vague smile formed on his face.

But then as Cloud looked closer at the pianist, the smile twisted into a grimace instead. "It's that girl," he said through gritted teeth.

Tifa finished her mother's song and felt the brief moment of nothingness one lapses into after a performance and before the response - and then the restaurant was filled with applause and cheers and smiles. The brunette blushed as she stood up and bowed, barely able to contain her own smile as the judges flashed her a near-perfect score and the manager came beside her to announce that she was the winner. The next five minutes were full of pats on the backs and congratulations from strangers, and at the very back of the admiring throng were Yuffie and Vincent, both beaming at her.

"Tifa, Tifa, you were amazing! Of course!" Yuffie squealed, giving her a bear hug. "_And_ you won! Talk about icing on a cake."

"You were great, Tifa," Vincent agreed.

"Really?" Tifa was glowing with happiness and she pushed her prize, a new digital camera, into Yuffie's hands. The girl took it with surprise and the brunette said frankly, "It's yours, Yuffie. Don't even try arguing with me." She smiled, "Happy birthday."

"Teef..." Lost for words for once in her life, Yuffie went forward and hugged Tifa again. When the girls released each other, Yuffie exclaimed, "Seriously, Tifa, you _have_ to be a singer when you grow up and become a huge star - "

Tifa laughed, caught in the midst of the euphoria and excitement, and accidentally walked backwards into somebody. She turned around with an apology on her lips and saw Cloud standing there. He looked at her smugly.

"Congratulations, Tifa," he said in an exaggerated tone and with an exaggerated smile. She frowned.

Vincent and Yuffie were looking at him oddly, and Vincent asked, "Tifa, do you know him?"

Tifa was momentarily distracted, "Oh - um, yeah. I do." She tore her eyes away from Cloud and said to her friends, "Hey, I'll catch up with you later, okay? I'll be fine," she added once again for Vincent's benefit, who had shot another quizzical look at Cloud.

When her friends had left, Yuffie distinctly asking, "Who _is_ the blondie?", Tifa turned and looked at Cloud square in the eye. He raised an eyebrow and half-teased, "You're not going to run away again, are you?"

Tifa resisted making another face. She really was not used to dealing with such a person at all. "I'll meet you outside in a moment," she said shortly.

Five minutes later the two were standing outside the restaurant, sizing each other up as they held out their phones at the same time. Cloud grabbed his and immediately flicked through it, and saw, with a sinking heart, that Aeris _had_ called him. Meanwhile, Tifa flicked through hers and gasped.

"You made long-distance calls?" she asked shrilly.

Cloud merely glanced up, "Well, I lost a lot of important calls so let's just call it even. You didn't even pay to fix my phone."

Tifa frowned at him before pulling out a note in her bag and slamming it into his chest, almost knocking the wind out of him. "Here," she said stonily. "I wrote down all your calls for you and the reasons for them." She glanced up at him and said, "Let's hope we never meet again."

"Agreed."

They took one last look at each other, like two disagreeable kids in a playground argument, before whirling around and walked in opposite directions. As Cloud went off, he glanced at the crumpled note in his hand where she had elaborately written down all of his calls over the past twenty-four hours. He permitted himself a small, demure smile.

_I guess she's not all-dragon, _he thought fairly. Then shook his head. _Even so, I better not run into her again._

_

* * *

_

The next day broke upon Nibelheim, signalling the start of another school week. Adults rushed off to work and students hurried to school, afraid of being late and forced to do push-ups by the disciplinary teacher Mr Hino, a friendly but strict man. The students lined up on the courtyard as they did every morning, boys on one side and girls on the other, standing in an orderly fashion with their hands behind their backs. They watched attentively as their principal and teachers went up in turn to make announcements and hand out awards.

"For coming first in last week's test," the principal announced. "Tifa Lockhart." He watched amiably as his best student broke out of the lines and went up to receive her certificate. Tifa smiled and bowed, just as a loud rumble cut through the quiet atmosphere and every head turned to look.

A motorbike was cruising into the school courtyard, much to the students' excitement, and what was even more scandalous was that the rider was wearing the school uniform - grey trousers, white shirt, maroon tie, navy vest and black blazer - which meant he had to be a student. As the bike came to a stop and the engine died, he took off his helmet to reveal a shock of blond spikes, a new, slightly haughty face and a pair of bright blue eyes. An outbreak of gasps and interested muttering followed.

Vincent narrowed his eyes as he recognised the boy and Tifa watched with a sense of mingled vexation and amusement as Cloud walked casually over to Mr Hino.

_Just my luck._

After the morning announcements and when the rest of the students had filed in for class, Tifa walked up to the teachers' office to return a file to Mr Hino. She found him admonishing Cloud, the blonde standing there with his hands in his pockets and not looking at all repentant.

"Now just because I know your father, Cloud, doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you," Mr Hino was saying, rearranging some papers on his desk. "Riding a motorcycle into the school grounds! You know that's not allowed here."

"What's the big deal? I rode it all the time in Midgar," Cloud said defensively.

"Well, this is Nibelheim, and you'll do well to remember that," Mr Hino said with an air of finality and a hint of a smile, and Cloud shut his eyes and groaned. The disciplinary teacher noticed Tifa standing nearby and he beckoned her over jubilantly, "Ah, Tifa! You've got the papers? Excellent, excellent."

"Yes, sir," said Tifa, walking forwards and handing over the file. Cloud glanced at her and comprehension dawned on his face. How could he have not realised that he'd be going to the same school as her? He should have recognised the similarities in their uniform from the day they had met in the gardens; the girls wore the exact same thing except with a grey skirt instead of trousers.

Tifa pretended not to notice him and tried to hide her amusement while Mr Hino said absently, "Ah, Cloud, you have to meet the wonderful, talented Miss Lockhart here. Tifa's the top student of the school and has great plans to attend university. Perhaps it'll rub off on you; your father says your grades are very poor - " (Cloud stared, incensed, at the teacher and Tifa bit back a laugh) " - Tifa, this Cloud Strife. He's a new student from Midgar."

"Oooh," she said innocently, finally looking at Cloud in the eyes. He stared at her in amazement as she bowed politely, "Nice to meet you."

"You too," he managed to get out.

Cloud watched her leave the teachers' office and, as Mr Hino continued his lecture, he chuckled in spite of it all.

_Now she's pretending not to know me? Great. What's wrong with people in this place?_

_

* * *

_

A/N: Hello my lovely readers. :) Thanks for reviewing! I hope you liked that chapter, even if the plot is moving kind of slow at the moment. I promise it will pick up soon! - msq.


	3. Bad Luck Charm

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII and the Korean drama _Sassy Girl Choon-Hyang_. ;)

**Golden Sonnet**

**Chapter Three**

**

* * *

**

"Midgar?"

"Mmhmm, apparently he got kicked out of the school he was attending there - "

"You're kidding me!"

"What a rebel... did you see his eyes, though? They're so pretty..."

"_And_ he rides a motorbike!"

Girls were giddy with glee and excitement as they gushed about the new boy; even the boys were grudgingly impressed by Cloud and his entrance into the school that morning. They were still cautious, though, and no one made any friendly advances. Cloud, to do him justice, remained admirably indifferent to all the attention he was receiving.

"Tifa."

Yuffie had walked into the classroom and made a beeline for her seat; everyone else was doing as they pleased during the break - chatting, eating snacks, drawing pictures on the whiteboard. Tifa, on the other hand, was absorbed in making notes from a textbook.

The girl in question didn't look up from her work, "Hmm?"

"That was blondie from yesterday," said Yuffie evenly. "Now tell me, how do you know him?"

"I know what you're thinking, Yuffie, but that's not it," replied Tifa, adjusting her reading glasses. "Remember how I told you about that guy and our phone problem?" Yuffie nodded. "That's him."

"_Him_?" said Yuffie incredulously. She seemed to take offence at once, "What a jerk! He probably thinks he's all that because he came from the city. Hey Tifa," she said, suddenly eager. "Want me to pay him back for you?"

Tifa smiled ruefully, "It's _okay_, Yuff." She turned the page of her book and said contritely, "We've already started off on the wrong foot and I don't want to make matters worse."

Yuffie pouted, sinking back into her chair, "I wonder if Vincent already knows."

Struck by alarm, Tifa instantly stopped writing and looked up, "Don't tell him! Vincent is so gallant, if he heard what happened then he'd probably go and do something drastic."

"Ah, that's our chivalrous Vinnie," Yuffie said happily. Both girls giggled, but their laughter was cut short when a boy raced into the classroom.

"Everyone, come quick!" he panted. "Vincent and that new kid are fighting!"

As everyone else ran out in excitement, Tifa groaned, "Vincent..." She grabbed Yuffie's arm and the two girls followed the crowd out to the corridors. They only had to run past a few classrooms when they found the scene.

Standing opposite each other were Cloud and Vincent. Students gave them a large berth and were crammed in the hallway, trying to see over each other's heads.

"So what's your specialty?" asked Cloud with a slight smirk, his hands in his pockets in a characteristic gesture.

"Triple-barrel revolver," replied Vincent stoically. "Cerberus. You?" Like Cloud, he had his hands in his pockets and gave off an aura of being cool and composed, but whereas Cloud appeared cocky and relaxed, Vincent looked blunt and intimidating. It was an electrifying sight.

"Buster Sword." Cloud's expression didn't betray how he impressed he was to finally find someone - in _Nibelheim_ of all places - who also used weaponry like he did. Too bad this dark-haired guy didn't seem to like him. They probably would have gotten along fine otherwise.

"But neither of us have them here," Vincent pointed out, and Cloud didn't miss the relief in his placid voice that he himself also felt.

Cloud nodded airily, "So I guess it's just normal hand-to-hand combat." He took his hands out of his pockets and dusted them, "Let's get this over with. I didn't come here to get into more trouble."

They looked at one another, eye-to-eye, and knew that they were both ready. The next second they had almost ran into each other, but before either could do so much as raise a fist, there was a screech.

"Vincent Valentine!"

Tifa had fought through the crowd, holding a broom and looking exasperated. Cloud and Vincent glanced at each other as she exploded, "I thought I told you to stopfighting!"

And before anyone could stop her, Tifa was charging at them, holding out the broom to separate the two boys. But somehow along the way, she tripped and yelped as she fell onto Vincent.

What resulted was a five-second catastrophe.

There was a collective gasp from students as Vincent was thrown backwards by Tifa's weight, stumbling back uncontrollably until - everyone shut their eyes in dread - he had gone right over the edge of the stairs and was crashing down them noisily, rolling into buckets and mops that the janitor had left behind. Cloud had quickly grabbed Tifa before she fell down along with Vincent.

A horrified silence filled the corridor as the last bucket finally rolled to a stop. People tentatively peeked down the stairs to look at the crumpled figure.

Yuffie stood there, clutching at the ends of her braids in anxiety. "Oh dear."

* * *

By the time everything had been fixed up and explained to the bewildered teachers, Vincent had sunken into a depressed stupor. The humiliation of falling down the stairs was just not something he could contend with. He would have infinitely preferred being beaten to a pulp by Cloud. That would have at least preserved some dignity.

Even if it hurt. A lot.

He was sitting on a bench out in the school courtyard, a piece of tissue stuck up his nose to stem the blood and a bandage on his cheek. He stared lifelessly out to the ground. Sitting beside him, a bit sheepishly and awkwardly, was Cloud, and standing in front of the two boys was an imploring Tifa.

"Vince, it's alright," she tried to console. "At least you're not too badly hurt."

"Yeah," agreed Cloud, genuinely concerned by his silence. "You fell down the stairs and only sustained a few bruises. That's pretty cool."

Vincent slowly looked up and Tifa winced at the bruises on his face. "How many people saw?" he asked quietly.

There was a silence in which Cloud and Tifa glanced tentatively at each other.

"Not _that_ many..." said Cloud uncertainly, but Vincent seemed to gather the worst from his tone and groaned.

Tifa bent down to Vincent and said firmly, "It doesn't matter, Vince. I told you you always beat yourself up over the smallest things, now prove me wrong."

Vincent looked up again and said tonelessly, "Tifa. No offence, but you are the last person I want to see right now."

Her face fell, but Tifa quickly put on a weak smile and stood up. "Oh. Okay. Of course. Um... how about I get Yuffie for you? She'll cheer you up."

A disbelieving noise came from the lamenting boy and he murmured, "She'll just come here and laugh at me."

"No, she won't!" insisted Tifa. "She's really worried about you. Everyone is." When Vincent looked at her again with those red eyes, though, she stopped and said meekly, "Never mind then. I'll... just go. I better get back to class."

Vincent merely grunted and Tifa shot a meaningful look at Cloud, tilting her head towards Vincent in a way that meant _'Cheer him up!'_

Cloud was taken-aback, but before he could say anything Tifa had walked away, evidently eager not to burden Vincent with her presence any longer. Cloud glanced uncertainly at the brooding boy beside him and wondered what on earth he could do or say to "cheer" him up. Cloud didn't know the first thing about comforting people. Finally, he reached into his pocket and awkwardly pulled out a packet gum.

"Er - want some gum?"

Vincent looked at it for a full ten seconds before accepting a piece.

"...Thanks."

"You're... welcome."

Both boys unwrapped their gum and stuck it in their mouths, Vincent still staring listlessly into space. In this renewed silence, Cloud thought back to how it all began - with Vincent striding towards him, demanding him how he knew Tifa and what he had done to her. Cloud was slightly amazed. Even when the girl wasn't doing anything, she still caused trouble for him.

"So..." said Cloud sheepishly, in an attempt to make conversation. "Uh... how do _you_ know Tifa?"

"Me?" Vincent sounded surprised, but answered, "We've known each other since we were kids. She's my oldest friend."

Cloud looked queasy, "Ugh. Unlucky."

"It's not like that," reproached Vincent, and it was obvious that his loyalty to Tifa hadn't wavered even since the stairs incident. "She's a great girl. I used to get into a lot of fights when I was younger but she calmed me down."

_That dragon, able to calm people down? _Rather than voice this thought aloud, though, Cloud surmised, "Maybe I've just seen the bad-tempered side of her."

That actually earned a snicker out of Vincent and Cloud felt a fleeting stab of victory. "Yeah," said Vincent. "Tifa has a bit of a temper, but you rarely see it. It's unlucky how you two met."

Cloud smirked, looking up into the clear blue sky, "I don't mind. It was memorable"

Vincent also looked up to the sky and the scene could have hardly been more of a contrast to what it was before, when the two boys had been poised to fight. Now they were sitting side-by-side on the bench, gazing up into the sky like two entranced children.

"I just wish she wasn't so impulsive sometimes," muttered Vincent, and the tissue up his nose and the bandaid on his face was more prominent as he said it. "They're both like that. Tifa and Yuffie. Maybe it's just a female thing."

Cloud looked piteously at him and patted Vincent on the shoulder in an awkward but nonetheless well-meaning gesture.

The two boys sat out in the courtyard for awhile, sometimes speaking but mostly sitting in silence, not at all fathomed by the fact that they were missing class.

* * *

Tifa didn't see Vincent for the rest of the day and could only assume that Cloud was taking care of him in his fragile state. She cringed when she remembered Vincent toppling down the stairs and wished that she had been a little less clumsy.

Tifa hastened home, knowing that her father would be there that afternoon after spending thirty hours at the hospital. She had no idea how her father did it, but was comforted that he would soon be cutting down on his work. Next year, when Tifa was moving out to attend university in Midgar, Mr Lockhart was also leaving Nibelheim to work at the Icicle Inn. His work there at the smaller hospital would be less strenuous and demanding, and although Tifa would miss her father terribly, she was glad for any reason that would allow him to relax and rest more.

She found her dad asleep in his armchair, a book lying open in his lap. She smiled discreetly and tiptoed up to him. "Daddy..." she half-whispered in a sing-song way. "Daddy..."

Mr Lockhart's eyes opened and a warm smile spread across his lips as he recognised his little girl. He was a thin man with a friendly, slightly lined face, warm brown eyes and silver-flecked chestnut brown hair.

"Hey, angel," he murmured, rubbing circles into her back as she hugged him. "How was school?"

"It was... interesting," Tifa smiled ruefully. "I'll tell you soon, I'm gonna make some tea."

Mr Lockhart laughed musically as Tifa told him about Vincent and what had happened. Then, cupping her hands around her mug of tea, Tifa listened as her dad explained about the operation he had performed that morning. The light outside started to dwindle and soon it was dark, and Tifa watched her father's eyelids droop lower and lower as he succumbed to exhaustion.

"Your Aunt Rina says she's coming today," murmured Mr Lockhart, his eyes barely open as he laid his head back.

Tifa smiled, "Yeah, she is. I'm supposed to meet her for dinner in an hour." She stood up and glanced at her father, "Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Mr Lockhart shook his head, "I can barely st - stay awake," he said, stifling a yawn. He smiled sleepily, "You two girls have fun. Look after your aunt, angel. I'm more worried about her than you."

"Alright."

Tifa got dressed and quickly prepared some food for her dad to heat up before she left the house. It was wintery cold outside and she wrapped the lower half of her face with a scarf as she walked.

Aunt Rina was her father's baby sister, a flighty, carefree and forever-cheerful young woman whose mind flitted all over the place. She was always travelling, sometimes with a friend but usually on her own, and would stop to stay in Nibelheim for long periods at a time. Mr Lockhart greatly disapproved of Rina's lifestyle, but Tifa had always loved her doting aunt who came with the most amazing presents for her only niece, and since her own mother died Tifa looked forward to her visits even more. Aunt Rina might be a bit impulsive and irresponsible, but she had a loving heart and was a lot of fun. In a way, Tifa was the opposite of her aunt, and yet they were strikingly similar.

Tifa reached the restaurant she had celebrated in a mere two days ago for Yuffie's birthday and went inside. Aunt Rina wasn't there yet, but that was to be expected. She was usually late. Sometimes she wouldn't even turn up at all. Tifa chuckled at the thought and sincerely hoped that wouldn't happen this time. She missed her aunt; it had been almost a year since her last visit.

The brunette looked around the restaurant, still buried inside her thick jacket. It wasn't too crowded tonight; the biggest table was a group of men in police uniforms, at the head of which was a laughing man who Tifa realised must be the new chief of police. His bright blond hair seemed familiar for some reason.

Five minutes... ten minutes... twenty minutes... half an hour. Tifa fidgeted and kept checking her phone. Where was Aunt Rina? She tried calling, but it kept saying that her phone was unavailable. Finally, after an hour had passed, Tifa decided that her aunt must've just forgotten about their arrangement again and she got up, shivering as soon as she was outside again. She looked up into the dark sky apprehensively and was about to contemplate taking a bus home when her phone rang.

"H - hello?" she said through chattering teeth.

"Tifa, sweetie? Oh thank goodness, the stupid line's been down for an hour - "

"Aunt Rina? Where are you?"

"I'm so sorry, Tif, everything's been crazy, delays and late buses, and I couldn't reach you. I'm riding a taxi right now to your home. Are you still at the restaurant?"

"Y - yeah," replied Tifa, still shivering. She heard and saw three drunk men coming up her way and she turned her back to them. "But it's okay, I'm just about to leave. I'll see you at home, auntie." She hung up.

"Hey, pretty girl," slurred a voice, and she whipped around to see that the men had reached her. "Wanna go on a date with one of us?"

"No, thank you," said Tifa forcefully, trying to push past them. But the man, saying, "Hey, hey, hey," held her back, almost collapsing on her in his drunken stupor. "Please - get off me," she said in exasperation, throwing his hands off her.

"What's the rush, darlin'? C'mon, let me buy you a drink, pretty, you shouldn't be alone on a night like this." He held onto her again with a leer.

Tifa pursed her lips, "I didn't want to do this, but - " She kicked the man, hard, in the shins, and he howled and doubled over in pain. Tifa glared at him and said, "When I want to be left alone, then I'll be alone."

The drunk man looked furious, clutching his knee, "You - you brat!"

It was only then that Tifa felt a twinge of fear; the men suddenly looked livid and she realised, too late, that she shouldn't have kicked the one grabbing her. But before they could do anything, a bright light fell upon them and a motorbike drew to a smooth stop in front of the scene. Tifa looked up in mingled relief and surprise as the rider took off their helmet and she saw a face that had become all too familiar.

Cloud got off his bike, frowning. He took in the scene before him, looking from the wide-eyed Tifa to the three drunkards in front of her.

"Tifa Lockhart," he spoke to her and she gazed at him. Cloud glanced disdainfully at the restaurant. "You're a real party girl, aren't you? It's so late already." And to the surprise of everyone, Cloud went forward and took her arm, leading her away with him. "Let's go."

The man suddenly found his voice, "Hey, punk! Who d'ya think you are? We saw her first." To emphasise his point he lunged forward to grab Tifa, but Cloud steered her behind him. The brunette blinked, unsure of how much more excitement she could take tonight.

"Listen," said Cloud smoothly, and there was something intimidating in his voice. "Why don't you all just go home now and sleep off your hangovers? Don't bother us. We're high school kids. We've still got a future."

The man glowered at him, eyes bulging sinisterly. "Wh - what did you just say to us? You little brat!"

It happened quickly; the man threw a punch at Cloud, who just managed to dodge it and thrust around to repay him back with a mean punch of his own. The new few seconds were chaotic as the three men and Cloud battled it out, in a manner of speaking. Tifa gasped as she backed away from danger and watched transfixed as they fought. Cloud was clearly a skilled fighter and was holding up well on his own.

The restaurant door burst open suddenly and out trooped the group of police officers, talking and laughing loudly into the cold air. Then they suddenly stopped, watching the fight before them, and the three drunkards seized their chance and ran for it. Cloud was left standing there, hunched over as he tried to catch his breath. Tifa went over to him quickly.

"Are you okay?"

"Y - yeah, I'm - "

"CLOUD STRIFE!"

Both teenagers jerked up and Tifa saw the chief standing in front of them, looking beyond furious - his fury directed at Cloud. At that moment, she realised why his blonde hair had seemed familiar; it was precisely the same shade as Cloud's.

Cloud went white and straightened up at once, "D - Dad?"

"Sir, this is your son?" one of the officers asked, looking surprised.

But Mr Strife ignored him; his attention was focused on his son as Cloud stammered, "Dad, you don't understand, they just came out and at - "

_SMACK._

Tifa gasped and so did several of the police officers as Mr Strife hit his son across the head. Cloud stayed rigid as his father fumed, "You - you couldn't even last one week without getting into trouble."

Cloud looked up, breathing heavily, his eyes full of hurt and resentment. Then he turned away and stalked off without a word.

"S - sir," said one of the officers a little reproachfully. "Sir, you should call him back."

Mr Strife, looking aggrieved, just shook his head, "No. He's always been like this in Midgar. I shouldn't have expected him to change here."

Tifa was torn; stepping pleadingly up to Mr Strife, who switched his gaze to her at once, she bowed quickly before him, "I'm sorry for butting in like this, sir. My name is Tifa Lockhart and I go to school with Cloud." Tifa looked up and said beseechingly, "Actually, this wasn't Cloud's fault. I was... in a bit of trouble and he helped me out. I'm really grateful to him. So please, sir, don't blame him."

Mr Strife looked at her. It wasn't a hard look, but a searching one.

Finally, he gave a little nod, "Thank you for telling me that." He made to walk away with his men, then turned back and asked, "Do you have a safe way to go back home, Miss Lockhart?"

"Oh... yes," nodded Tifa. She put on a small smile and bowed to them, straightening up and watching them walk off. She felt horrible and miserable, remembering the look in Cloud's eyes after his father had hit him.

"Why do I always cause other people trouble?" she wondered out loud.

Tifa continued to feel guilty and couldn't help thinking about Cloud even as she went to bed that night. Once or twice she considered sending a message to him, but she was probably the last person he wanted to hear from right now. Just like how Vincent hadn't wanted to talk to her after she caused him to fall down the stairs.

The next day at school started off on a doleful note; as they stood in their lines in the courtyard, Tifa craned her neck to try and find Cloud, but he wasn't in his spot. She felt her heart sink. He didn't turn up for his first few classes, either, and she began to wonder if he even went home last night.

"That was nice of him," said Vincent blankly when he heard what had happened.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't have expected it, a guy like him," sniffed Yuffie. "If you ask me, he's weird. He'll run off with your phone the one day and then rescue you from sleazy drunks the next."

"I ran off with his phone, too," Tifa reminded her.

It wasn't until late morning that Tifa, crossing through the school, finally found him lying on a bench in the courtyard, reading a comic. Everyone else was in class. She half-smiled as she walked over and sat on the end of the bench.

"Skipping class?"

Cloud didn't need to look to see who that voice belonged to. "What about you?" he asked back, eyes never leaving his comic. His flat tone told her he was still upset by last night's events.

Tifa smiled, "I have no class at the moment, but I know for a fact that you're meant to have Economics with Vincent right now." She paused, and then asked in a softer tone, "Is your dad still angry at you?"

Cloud nodded rigidly. "But then again, he always seems to be angry at me."

"Why didn't you just tell him what really happened?" asked Tifa, frowning at the pathetic boy.

"It wouldn't make a difference," replied Cloud, finally sitting up and looking at her. "He always assumes I'm to blame. I guess he has good reason to."

"I think there's a big misunderstanding between you two," said Tifa sagely, putting her hands into the pockets of her blazer to keep warm. "You should work on improving your relationship with your dad."

"That's easy for you to say, Miss Perfect," remarked Cloud. "You must have a harmonious relationship with your parents, am I right?"

She was quiet for a moment, before saying in a thoughtful voice, "I have a distant relationship with my mother."

Cloud frowned at her with reproach. "Hey, how can you tell me to improve my relationship with my father when you're not right with your mum?"

"It's distant because she's up there," she pointed to the sky and he followed her gaze. "And I'm down here." Tifa glanced at him as he realised what she meant and she smiled at how transparent he was. "What? Are you feeling sorry for me?" she said lightly.

The blonde boy cleared his throat uncomfortably, "No, not really. You still seem pretty strong."

Her smile widened and Cloud noted how pretty she looked.

"Well, anyway," Tifa continued contritely. "I wanted to say sorry for what happened last night. And thank you for helping me out."

Cloud was taken-aback only for a second. He smirked at her in his own way of letting her know it was alright. "Ah, so many things have happened since I've met you," he said casually, leaning back on his hands. He looked sideways at her, "I should call you my bad luck charm."

"What? Bad luck charm?" repeated Tifa incredulously, and Cloud chortled. "Hey, what about you?" she demanded.

"What about me?" he responded with an infuriating smile. "What have I done to you?"

"I'm sure there'll be many things in the future," she mumbled. His grin broadened as she stood up, her hands still deep in her pockets. Tifa looked back at him and scolded, "I'll let you off today, but if I catch you skipping class again I'll report to Mr Hino."

"And the dragon returns," murmured Cloud, lying back down on the bench and picking up his comic. But he grinned.

* * *

By the end of the week, life in Nibelheim was slipping back into its old grooves after the sensation of the new boy from Midgar. Three facts had been established about Cloud; he was son of the new chief of police, he was an excellent fighter and friend (although most people wondered how this happened) of Vincent Valentine.

Although by no means were Cloud and Tifa best of chums in any way, they were grudgingly accepting of each other. Still, things seemed to happen to the pair that riled them up. Once in class, Cloud had been playing piggy-in-the-middle with her pencil case and (accidentally) made it sail right out of the second-story window. The next day, Tifa claimed she didn't know how her acidic solution in a chemistry experiment managed to spill all over his lap.

Vincent ran about trying to reconcile them while Yuffie always defended Tifa's honour.

"What happened to your pants?" the short girl asked, trying hard not to snigger as a bad-tempered Cloud came up to them at lunch. Patches of his pants had been bleached by the acidic substance.

Cloud glared at her, "Ask your friend." His narrowed eyes rove around their table, "Where is the bad luck charm?"

"She doesn't have class this afternoon," answered Vincent, halfway through his lunch. "She's gone to work."

Although Cloud's expression didn't show it immediately, a spark gleamed in his blue eyes. After tearing through his lunch, he bade goodbye to Yuffie and Vincent and skipped his last class (it wasn't important, _anyway_) to set off for the Nibelheim gardens.

Tifa worked at the gardens every second Friday afternoon, doing odd jobs to earn a bit of money. She was saving up for university, although her father had told her countless times that he would pay for it. She couldn't be expected to pay for her whole course, anyway. Tifa was determined, though, and so far had made enough to get her through her first year, something she was proud of. The brunette had raced home and gotten changed, and was now working diligently as she swept the autumn leaves littering the pathways.

A frisbee, seemingly out of nowhere, hit her on the head. Tifa looked up in consternation to see Cloud, standing a few feet away and grinning incorrigibly.

"Oh, ma'am," he said soberly. "Will you pick up my frisbee for me?"

Tifa scowled fiercely, plucking up the disc and throwing it back at him. Cloud caught it swiftly and, deciding to ignore him, she went back to sweeping the leaves with more vim than necessary. There was a whoosh and the frisbee hit her a second time. Tifa straightened up with a severe look in her eyes.

"Cut it out!" she ordered.

Cloud put on a puzzled expression, "What's the matter, ma'am? Am I bothering you?"

Tifa grit her teeth, knowing full well he was acting like this as revenge for spilling her solution on him that morning. The brunette took a deep, calming breath before returing to her raking. Cloud grinned, thoroughly enjoying himself. He loved needling her. It came second-nature to him now.

Aiming skillfully, the conniving boy tossed his frisbee and watched it cut through the air. Then _twack!_ The frisbee had flown right into the tree and was caught between the branches.

"Oh, dear," said Cloud audibly, making Tifa glance up and suppress the urge to jab him with the rake. "My frisbee's stuck, ma'am. Couldn't you get it down for me?"

Tifa glowered at him, and it was obvious that she was as angry as he was delighted. "Cloud Strife," she said through clenched teeth. "You are really asking for it." So what if he had once rescued her? He was absolutely insufferable.

Marching over to the tree and leaning over the side of the bridge, Tifa tried to prod the frisbee out with her rake. The resultant shower of leaves that fell upon her made Cloud laugh out loud, and she sent him her most deadly glare.

"You're not gonna be able to get it that way, ma'am," said Cloud, still in that infuriatingly somber manner. "You need to climb up the tree."

He had only said it to annoy her, because the cherry tree jutted out over the pond and the frisbee happened to be right above the water. Climbing up was not a wise thing to do.

Fiercely determined, however, Tifa threw down her rake and started to ascend the tree, feeling a great sense of deja vu. Cloud blinked.

"Hey - hey - " he said uncertainly, watching her edge closer and closer to the frisbee. "You're not really going to, are you?"

Tifa paused, arm curled around a branch, and said tartly, "If it's the only thing that'll make you shut up, then yes."

"I was just kidding," Cloud said lamely, a trace of fear creeping into his voice as she reached out dangerously to grab the frisbee. He walked closer to the tree to keep an eye on her. "Hey - watch out!"

"I got it!" she cried triumphantly at the same moment, hand enclosing over the disc.

Famous last words. There was a snap, a shriek and a splash as the branch supporting Tifa snapped and she fell, plunging right into the pond below. Cloud cringed and ran to the side as she broke the surface, gasping.

"Tifa Lockhart, are you crazy?" he demanded in shock, reaching out a hand. Tifa had no choice but to grasp it, and Cloud pulled her right out of the water with surprising strength. As soon as she was back on dry land, though, she pushed him away and shoved the frisbee into his hand, giving him a look that he couldn't quite describe, but made him feel incredibly guilty.

"Yes, I am," she said waspishly, and it was with a cold tone that she had never used with him before. "I am completely and utterly crazy. Are you happy?" She was drenched right through; her clothes were dripping with water and she was shivering.

"Keep having fun here. I'm going home." On that guilt-inciting note, Tifa walked off, leaving a trail of dripping water behind her. Cloud stared after her remorsefully and that was the first time he realised that making Tifa really, truly upset was not something he wanted to repeat.

Suddenly, on impulse, he slipped off his school bag and yanked off his school blazer. Marching up behind her, Cloud placed the heavy blazer on her shoulders. She looked up in surprise, but he had already walked on ahead without a word.

Tifa looked after him in confusion, feeling his warmth draped over her, and gave a small smile.

* * *

Later on in the afternoon, Cloud, Vincent and Yuffie were to be found in a cafe. Yuffie had her nose buried in a magazine and the boys listened dully as she gabbled on about all the immensely good-looking celebrities inside. They were less than pleased when she started comparing the pop stars and actors to _them_.

"Come off it," said Cloud jarringly, staring at the picture. "That guy's hair is pitiful. Look how long it is."

Yuffie snatched the magazine away as Vincent chuckled, glaring at Cloud. "Like you know anything about hair," she said snidely, eyeing his spikes. "_You_ look like a Chocobo. And you, Vinnie," she added. "Your hair is _okay_, I guess, but you should grow it longer." Vincent's hair was jet-black and short, coming down below his ears. It was layered and so had the appearance of being slightly curly.

"No way," said Vincent adamantly, taking a sip of his soda. "I don't want to look like a girl."

Cloud laughed and Yuffie gave them up, returning back to her magazine. A second later, she let out a shriek.

"What is it?" spluttered Vincent.

Yuffie lowered the magazine, her dark eyes starry with excitement. She said in a reverent, awed voice, "Shinra Productions are coming to Nibelheim this month! They're filming a movie here. Can you _believe _it?"

"Who?" asked Cloud without the slightest trace of interest.

Yuffie looked like she could not believe her ears. "Shinra Productions!" she exclaimed, gawking at the two nonplussed boys. "They're one of the biggest film directing companies in Midgar! _You _should know, Cloud."

"Never heard of them," he said breezily.

Clearly scandalised, Yuffie picked up her phone which had started to ring. "Hello?" she said, eyes still glued onto the article about Shinra Productions. "Tifa! Where are you? ...Oh. Oh. Oh, yeah, of course I'll bring it tomorrow. Uh huh... are you okay, Teef? You sound a little sick... oh, alright then. Bye."

Cloud had looked up suddenly during the phone call, and asked Yuffie carefully as she put away her phone, "Tifa... sounds sick?"

A fresh surge of guilt came up inside of him again as she nodded, "A little. Maybe we should go visit her and cheer her up. Her dad's staying overnight at the hospital."

"What about her aunt?" asked Vincent as Cloud looked down at his drink with a small frown, barely listening to their conversation. He cringed inwardly as he remembered Tifa falling right into the pond, and the look on her face when she returned his frisbee. Maybe he shouldn't have been such a jerk to her.

"...Aunt Rina's going to visit a friend tonight and won't be home, so Tifa'll be all alone - "

"Yeah, let's go visit her," said Cloud, standing up and oblivious to the taken-aback looks on their faces. He picked up his helmet and looked at them expectantly, "So which way to her house?"

* * *

A/N: Aww, Cloud and Tifa are starting to warm up to each other. :) Now THAT was a long chapter, so please review... lots! Haha. I am really loving all your reviews, comments and feedback - just letting me know that you are actually reading this means a lot to me! So please don't be shy, everyone. :) The more, the merrier... and the faster I update! ;) - msq.


	4. A Night Fiasco

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII and the Korean drama _Sassy Girl Choon-Hyang_. ;)

A/N: Can I just say, all of you are awesome and know how to make an author feel loved and happy. Cookies to all! And enjoy. xD

**Golden Sonnet**

**Chapter Four**

**

* * *

**

The Lockhart house was a small, cozy cottage with a garden out the front. Aunt Rina answered the door when Yuffie rang the bell and exclaimed over them as she welcomed them in. She was a bright, vivacious woman with curly brown hair always cut in the latest, trendiest style, twinkling hazel eyes and a clear, rose-leaf complexion. Although she was, in many ways, still a child herself, Aunt Rina did possess some motherly qualities.

"Ah, and who is this?" Aunt Rina asked mischievously when her eyes fell upon Cloud, having hugged and kissed both Vincent and Yuffie already.

Yuffie smiled, nudging a sheepish Cloud. "This is Cloud Strife, Aunt Rina," she introduced. "He's the new kid on the block."

"Oh, I see," Aunt Rina smiled warmly, shaking Cloud's hand. "And are you close to my little niece?"

"I - err - " stammered Cloud with an embarrassed smile, but an amused Vincent came to his rescue.

"Tifa was his first friend in Nibelheim," he explained, which Cloud thought was not entirely the truth. "Is Tifa okay, Aunt Rina?"

"Yes, of course, my dear," replied the vibrant woman, shutting the front door behind them. "She's in bed at the moment; not feeling her best, but she's still awake. I think she caught a cold today."

The three teenagers ventured into the first bedroom in the hallway, where Tifa sat up with a smile on her face as Yuffie flung herself on her. Cloud hung back awkwardly and glanced around her neat, tidy room. It wasn't cluttered, but it wasn't bare either. Her shelf was crammed with books, with one rack devoted to a collection of crystal animals, and her desk held a computer, a lava lamp and a patterned cup full of pens. Cloud saw his blazer, hung up on the door of her wooden wardrobe, and a large photograph on her bedside table showing her two parents and herself as a child.

After talking to her friends, Tifa glanced up at the blonde still standing in the doorway. He caught her eye and asked guiltily, "Are you okay?"

Tifa smiled tranquilly at him, her earlier coldness dissipated. "I'm fine, thanks. Your blazer's over there if you came here to pick it up."

At that moment, Aunt Rina stuck her head in the doorway, "Tifa, sweetie? Are you sure you don't want me to stay tonight, I can always cancel this - "

"Go ahead, auntie," said Tifa wanly as if she had said this several times already. "I'll be fine."

"Yeah, we'll take care of her!" piped up Yuffie, putting an arm around her friend. "Don't worry about a thing."

Aunt Rina grinned, "Well, if you insist." She beamed at Cloud, patted him on the shoulder and whispered audibly, "You'll take good care of Tifa, won't you, Cloud?"

"Aunt Rina!" exclaimed Tifa from her bed, blushing a little. "Why would he take care of me?"

But Cloud gave a genuine smile (which was quite cute) and bowed his head, saying, "Of course I will."

"Alright then, I'll be off. Don't stay up too late, you crazy kids. Especially you, Tif, your father will kill me if you don't get some rest soon." Waving around at the room, Aunt Rina disappeared from the door frame.

"Let's play cards!" said Yuffie eagerly, pulling out a deck from the bedside drawer. "Five hundred, anyone?"

"You country bumpkins know how to play that game?" said Cloud impressively. He came over and sat at the end of the bed, Vincent and Yuffie following suit while Tifa sat up properly to make more room for them. "Alright, let's go then. I'm a champion at it."

"We'll see," said Tifa serenely, but she smiled.

Cloud _was_ a good player - and also made a good team with Tifa. The pair were somewhat reconciled as they won most of the games and high-fived one another gleefully. After an hour, though, Tifa said she was tired and pulled out. She ducked under her covers while Yuffie and Vincent moved to the floor and started a game of Spit. That left Cloud to sit near them, lying against the bed with nothing to do.

"Hey," he said plaintively, watching them play. "Why can't we play something that will include _me_ as well?"

"What games do you know need only three players?" Vincent asked, concentrating on the game.

"I dunno - Snap? Pig?"

"Those are for kids," scoffed Yuffie. "HA!" She snapped the pile suddenly, causing Tifa to stir and Vincent to groan. Cloud sighed heavily; he stood up and stretched.

"I'm thirsty. Where can I get a drink?"

"Try the fridge."

So Cloud ventured into the kitchen, opening the fridge and glancing at the contents inside. His eyes spied on the unlabelled bottle near the bottom, full of a clear, bright red liquid. Sceptical, he unscrewed the bottle and sniffed it.

_Smells like berries. _Cloud looked closely at the bottle as if he could deduce what it was. _Maybe she ripped off the label. _And without due regard to the fact that this was not his home, and that drinking straight from the bottle was _not_ polite, he put it to his lips and took a sip. It tasted good, though certainly not like anything he had tried before, and he kept drinking. Once or twice, he thought about offering some to the other two, but still annoyed at them for leaving him out, Cloud enjoyed himself thoroughly until the bottle was empty.

And that was when he started to feel a little sick.

Cloud crawled back into Tifa's room and back to his spot. Vincent and Yuffie were still playing cards. He sat there, feeling increasingly nauseous and hot, and cursed himself for drinking so much in one go. And then his head started to ache with a dull, pounding pain that made him feel sleepy and stupid.

_It must be that girl again_, he thought with effort, glancing at the sleeping form of Tifa. _Her germs are getting to me._ The triumphant squeals and mournful noises coming from Yuffie, plus the incessant slapping of hands against cards, were doing nothing to help his headache.

"Is it just me or is it really warm in here?" mumbled Cloud some twenty minutes later, flapping the collar of his shirt up and down.

"It's alright..." Vincent glanced round at the blonde, who was slumped pathetically on the floor against the bed. "Maybe you should go outside and get some air," he suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah... I think I will..."

His head feeling as though it weighed a tonne, Cloud half-staggered out of the house. He collapsed down on the porch beside a flowering peony bush and took in a deep breath of the cool air. It eased his headache a little, but he still felt stuffy and sluggish. Cloud glanced around the pretty garden and vaguely appreciated that nothing like this could be found easily in Midgar. This was the sort of thing Aeris loved.

At this thought, Cloud reached up behind his neck to undo his pendant. Once in his hands, he slid open the rectangular bit of silver to look at the photo of Aeris. She'd given it to him as a birthday present two years ago, joking that he could replace the photo when he had a girlfriend. Naturally, he had never removed the picture...

Fifteen minutes later, a particularly loud shriek from Yuffie woke Tifa up; the grumpy girl told them off for being so noisy, _especially_ when their friend was sick, and ordered them to leave. It was only when Yuffie and Vincent packed away their cards and were ready to leave that they realised Cloud was missing.

"He probably left already," Vincent said as they checked around the kitchen. "He did look a little sick."

Yuffie tutted disapprovingly, "He didn't even say goodbye! Besides, he left his blazer behind."

"Ah, it's nothing," said Vincent. The two walked outside, shutting the front door behind them.

"What's that?" Yuffie asked curiously, gesturing to the empty bottle Vincent was holding.

"It was lying on the bench top," he explained, walking over the recycling bin and tossing the bottle in. "Aunt Rina must have finished her homemade currant wine already."

And together they left, oblivious to the fact that a sleeping Cloud was concealed behind the peony bush.

* * *

Cloud was not a light sleeper, but this night was an unusual one. He remembered slipping into consciousness, his head pounding inexplicably and himself half-frozen as he was (how did it get there?) lying outside. He vaguely recollected stumbling back inside the house, trying to keep himself warm, and heading to a bedroom by memory - it was the only room he knew in this unfamiliar house (where was he, anyway?), and he knew it was the first door in the hallway. He staggered into the heated room and crawled into the soft, large bed - there might have been someone sleeping in it already, but he wasn't sure, and to be honest he didn't care - he was _freezing_ - and finally pulled the blankets over himself.

But then he was too stuffy and overheated, and he fumbled off his jumper and shirt.

There. Now he could finally sleep.

* * *

The white light streamed in through the curtains and Tifa rolled onto her side, wondering why she felt so cold and bare. The brunette rolled back and peered blearily at the bundle of blankets on the other side of the bed. She gazed at them quizzically. When had she kicked all of them to the side?

Yawning, she reached out to tug the blankets back over her - and as she pulled, they slipped off another body.

For about three seconds, she gaped, dumbstruck, at the body lying only a foot away from her _in her bed_. And then she let out an ear splitting shriek and scrambled backwards, drawing the blankets up to her chin.

"AHHHHH!"

"Wh - what is it?" Cloud yawned, heaving himself up and peering at the mortified girl through drooping eyelids. Then his eyes widened and he yelped, falling backwards off the bed in his shock. His head appeared above the bed again to gaze at her in terror, and she threw a pillow at him.

"Get out - get out - get out!" were Tifa's incoherent words, jumping out of bed and pegging stuffed toys at him.

Cloud was having difficulty getting up with Tifa throwing things at him. The situation could not have been more terrifying; he had been in bed beside her, wearing nothing but his jeans. Tifa was in her pjyamas. Amidst the chaos of flying objects, her shrieks and his spluttering, Cloud spotted his shirt and jumper lying on the floor and seized them.

"Ouch - ouch - _ow_ - "

She chased him out of the house until he was cowering on the porch, still shirtless. Chagrined, Tifa dropped the umbrella she had been beating him with and cried, "What were you doing in - in - _there beside me_?"

"How am I supposed to know?" howled Cloud. The both of them were still clearly worked up over the situation; both of their hair was dishevelled, Tifa looked slightly mad.

"How are _you_ supposed to know - you - "

The garden gate creaked and they looked up to behold a scene that made them forget their hysteria for a moment.

A group of people were standing in front of the house, gazing open-mouthed at the two teenagers. Mr and Mrs Strife were on one side, apparently frozen in horror, while Mr Lockhart and Aunt Rina stood on the other. Vincent walked up behind them, having just arrived.

"Hey, what's everyone - " his eyes fell upon Cloud and Tifa, both rooted to the spot and gazing fearfully at their parents. "...Whoa."

The explosion occurred.

"_Tifa_!"

"CLOUD!"

"Daddy, Aunt Rina..."

"Mum - Dad - "

Mr Strife seemed beside himself, his eyes bulging, "_Cloud Strife,_ you - "

"AH!" Cloud yelped in terror and dove out of the way as his father made a grab for him; Mrs Strife shrieked and tried to restrain her husband.

"You - come back here!"

"_Cloud_!"

"H - hey, you can't just - "

There was total disorder as the terrified blonde dodged everyone and ran for it, jumping over the picket fence and still clutching onto his jumper. They all chased after him, yelling all sorts of reprimands and threats and rousing the entire street. Cloud glanced back and winced severely, trying to sprint all the more faster.

_Why are they all trying to catch me?_ he thought wildly, as yells from his father made him cringe. _I can't explain anything!_

_

* * *

_

"Tifa Lockhart!"

"Nothing happened, honestly, Aunt Rina," insisted Tifa wearily.

They were sitting in the living room; Tifa was still in her pyjamas but her earlier shock and hysteria had been replaced with a kind of drained energy. Her father was in his armchair, looking worn but otherwise quite passive. Her aunt was the only one still reeling in shock and fury; Vincent sat on the side, silent and timid.

Mr and Mrs Strife had already stayed for a cup of tea, both of them dazed with the morning's events, and had left after thanking them for their hospitality. Mr Strife had to go to the police station; Mrs Strife went home to recover. Apparently they had been worried when Cloud didn't come home last night, had called the school, talked to Mr Hino who then called Vincent whom he knew was friendly with Cloud. Vincent had told them that he had last seen Cloud at Tifa's house, and hence came the timely occasion when all three parents plus Aunt Rina met at the front gate.

"Then _what_ was he doing in your bed?" Aunt Rina demanded hotly.

"I don't know, I don't know," moaned a distressed Tifa, shutting her eyes. She opened them and looked imploringly at Vincent. "Vince, what happened last night after I fell asleep? How come Cloud didn't leave with you?"

"Well - he was missing," said Vincent awkwardly. "We thought he'd already gone."

Tifa put her face in her hands as Aunt Rina tutted impatiently. She glanced at her niece and stared to jab her, saying, "You silly girl, Tifa, how could you let this happen, how could you not realise a boy was sleeping beside you, how - "

"Ow - ow - ow - "

"Rina," said Mr Lockhart in a quelling tone. "If Tifa said nothing happened, then nothing happened."

"But how would she know?" moaned Aunt Rina, plopping herself down on the sofa. "Poor Tifa was _sick,_ that horrible boy probably took advantage of her - "

"Aunt Rina!" exclaimed Tifa reproachfully, disgusted at the mental images that had suddenly filled her mind. "Stop it, please. Cloud would never do that, he's not like that. You saw how surprised he was this morning as well. This is just a big misunderstanding." Still, she couldn't help thinking furiously, _Cloud, you stuffed it up big this time! What on earth happened?_

Her phone, lying on the mantle where it was being re-charged, started to ring and Tifa went over to it. _Cloud_ was flashing across the screen and she picked it up at once.

"Where are you?" she said urgently. Her eyes lit up, "Okay, don't move a muscle! I'll be right there."

Aunt Rina had stood up as well, a fire blazing in her hazel eyes. "It's him, isn't it?" she said sinisterly. Aunt Rina rarely acted like this and it would have almost been funny if the situation wasn't so distressing. Tifa smiled timidly at her and her father before bolting for her bedroom.

"Tifa!" shrieked Aunt Rina, but Mr Lockhart, somewhat amused, said peaceably, "Let her go, Rina. She's a big girl and can handle this on her own."

Aunt Rina didn't look convinced and fumed, "Oooh, when I get my hands on that boy..."

Tifa hastily changed into some warmer clothes and made her bed. As she shook her blankets free, something delicate flew out to the floor. It was a small, silver pendant she had never seen before. Figuring it must belong to Cloud, she slid it open to reveal a photo of a girl who was undoubtedly beautiful. For a moment, Tifa stared at her and felt that she had an inkling who the girl was. Then, shaking herself back to her senses, she pocketed the pendant, grabbed Cloud's blazer and shoes and set off.

Cloud had taken refuge in the oriental gardens, curled up in a ball on one of the benches. He had put his jumper back on, but his feet were still bare and cold. Tifa walked down along the bridge, peering around and finally spotted him. She grimaced and went over, her shadow making him look around in relief.

"Hey - " he started, but she cut him off, hitting him across the shoulder with one of his shoes.

"Cloud, what have you done?" Tifa cried in a strained voice, continuing to bat him with his shoes. Her anxiety had returned at the sight of the boy. "Our families think - that - we - _ugh_! I can't even say it." Still distressed, she chucked his shoes at his lap (he caught them, taken-aback) and also threw his blazer back onto him. "I thought you might be cold," she said at his enquiring look. "Besides, you need to take it back."

Cloud gave a small, amused, relaxed smile as he slipped his shoes back on; for some reason, seeing her so worked up made him calm down.

"Hey, it's okay," he said nonchalantly as he did up his laces. "Your father and aunt will trust your word, won't they? I mean, nothing _did _happen. My father probably has a murderous intent right now, but if I just stay away for a bit - "

Tifa plopped down beside him and glared.

"It's that simple, huh?" she scoffed. Then she sighed restlessly, "Don't you realise how bad this looks to everyone else? I mean, what _did _happen last night? How could any of this have happened?"

Cloud swallowed, trying hard to think.

"Well - I dunno. We were all over at your place, weren't we? And maybe your germs got to me, I started to feel sick. I had a headache. And then I was outside - then inside - and I was barely conscious, and I just wound up in your bed." He squinted in his effort to remember, "And that's it.

"Oh yeah, and I - err - drank a whole bottle of your red cordial. Come to think of it, that's probably what gave me the headache."

Tifa looked stumped, "Red cordial? What red cordial?"

"That big bottle of red stuff in your fridge!"

"You drank it _all_?" she said incredulously, then realised something and gasped, "Hey - that wasn't red cordial, you airhead, that was Aunt Rina's currant wine!"

"Ah," said Cloud lamely. "Well, that explains it."

Tifa was groaning, her head in her hands. The sight made Cloud feel strangely obligated to comfort her, but all he could say was, "Hey, hey, it's okay... we'll just explain it to them."

"It's not okay," mourned Tifa, lifting her head bleakly. "Now everyone will think that we - we spent the night together!"

"How do you figure that one out?" asked Cloud, nonplussed.

Tifa spared him a look of disdain. "I think we woke the entire street up this morning with our fiasco," she said serenely. "Your father and my aunt were screaming it out when they were chasing you." She sighed heavily, "Trust me, _everyone_ will hear about this."

And she was quite right; by the end of the day, rumours that Tifa Lockhart and the rebellious son of the new chief had spent a night together were flying around. The wildest stories were exchanged at school, to the extent that the staff could ignore it no longer and called for an emergency meeting. In a place where ideals and morals about marriage and these certain relations were scrupulously upheld, such stories and behaviour could not be tolerated.

The parents and guardians of the two involved sat down nervously in the principal's office; Mr Lockhart and Aunt Rina on one side of the table, Mr and Mrs Strife on the other side. The principal and Mr Hino sat on a third side.

"You're not expelling them, are you?" asked Mrs Strife breathlessly after the principal had addressed them all kindly and explained why they were here.

"My dear lady," said the principal somberly. "Tifa and Cloud will not be expelled... in a manner of speaking. However, the school does - _strongly _- suggest that they make their own decision to leave."

Mr Lockhart's brow furrowed, "Isn't that basically the same thing?"

At the same time, Aunt Rina cried, "You can't expel Tifa! After everything she's achieved at this school - she's the top student! If she leaves, she'll lose all her certificates and references. And you understand that she needs them for university."

"And Cloud can't change schools, not when he just started here," added a troubled Mrs Strife. "Please, can't you reconsider?"

Mr Hino also looked troubled and seemed to be overcoming an inner struggle. He gazed imploringly at the principal, who looked equally agitated; neither man wanted to kick out two students, especially not their top one.

"Besides," Mr Lockhart said in his quiet, calming voice. "Nothing happened between the children that night. It doesn't seem fair to punish them - and us, as their guardians - in this manner."

"But my dear sir, other parents and the students won't stand for this," said the principal, agitatedly shaking his balding head. "Why, the very scandal it's caused - "

"_Scandal?_" repeated Aunt Rina shrilly, "If my niece says nothing happened, then nothing happened!"

"And we believe her word, too, we really do, Miss Lockhart," Mr Hino said hurriedly. "However, it's not that simple - all of your reputation is on the line - "

"But everything's been blown out of proportion," said Mrs Strife despairingly.

" This is injustice, I say, how can you - "

" - it's really not as black and white as you put it, my dear - "

"To bullocks with what everyone else thinks, my niece does not deserve this - "

" - calm down - please - madam - "

"Please, everyone, STOP!"

Mr Strife, who had been quietly reserved during the entire dialogue, shouted, making them all stop talking at once. He took a deep breath and said pensively, as if to himself, "As I see it, the main issue here is that the children spent the night together - even if nothing _did_ happen - but they have no relationship."

He continued to look thoughtful, "There... would be no problem if they were actually together, say if they were - " Mr Strife broke off suddenly, a glint appearing in his grey eyes. Nobody knew what had wrought on the change and they all stared, wide-eyed, at him.

The chief turned to Mr Lockhart and Aunt Rina across from him on the table, his voice trembling as though struck by inspiration.

"Let the children get married."

Mr Lockhart blinked in bewilderment, "Pardon - pardon me?" At the same time, Aunt Rina repeated, "_Married_?" and Mrs Strife gasped, "What are you saying?"

But Mr Strife had turned back to the principal and Mr Hino, both of whom looked equally stunned at this proposal.

"If the children were married," he said in a voice slightly hoarse with excitement. "There would be no problem, would there? They wouldn't have to leave the school because of that incident."

For several dumbfounded seconds, there was silence in the principal's office. A bird twittered outside the window.

Then, at last, the principal stammered, "I - I guess so. The school... can't overpower their love."

Mr Strife grinned triumphantly, looking uncannily like his son, but everyone else was still astounded. His eyes sought out Mr Lockhart's.

"I'm very sorry, sir, that my son has dragged your daughter into this mess," said Mr Strife sadly, inclining his head. Then he looked up sincerely, "Please accept this as our family's token of apology. We can save the children's reputation and Tifa will be able to remain at the school. If you allow the marriage, I personally promise that we'll support and take care of your daughter."

Mr Lockhart was speechless. He couldn't seem to find the right words and glanced at his sister, but Aunt Rina's mouth was hanging half-open.

Finally, he smiled and said, "Don't be ridiculous, it's not your son's fault. I guess... these things... happen." Still, he sounded a little doubtful and Mr Hino coughed.

Mr Lockhart looked at the teachers, who stared blankly back, then at Mr Strife's encouraging and expectant gaze.

Finally, he said helplessly, "Well... if it's the only way to keep them at school..."

* * *

"We're going to what?"

"We're going to... get married."

Tifa and Cloud looked at each other straight in the eye for a second, before letting out wails and howls, clutching onto one another in their utter despair. School had finished hours ago and it was already night time, but neither had gone home yet and were still at the gardens, in a kind of wishful way to delay hearing the terrible news again.

A startled Cloud found himself being dragged to the edge of the bridge.

"Go, go jump off into the water," said Tifa hysterically, trying to push him over the side. "Our lives are over already."

"Hey - hey!" Cloud grabbed her arms firmly and held them above her head. She stared reproachfully at him, her hair all over her face. "Just calm down, you crazy! It's not... _that_ bad. Maybe we can get out of this."

"How?" wailed Tifa as they kept walking down the bridge. "We're gonna get kicked out if we don't marry each other." She halted suddenly and barked, "I _told_ you you were gonna be a bad luck charm to me!"

"Alright, alright," said Cloud crisply. He groaned, looking heavenward as if the solution was written there. Life had certainly taken a woeful turn.

"Our parents are just worked up over this situation," he said wisely after a few moment's profound thinking. "They're a little hysterical and aren't thinking straight. I'm... sure they'll come back to their senses after a couple more days. Let's just wait a bit longer and see how things pan out. I mean, the idea of us getting married..."

They looked at each other at the same moment, and then turned away with twisted expressions.

"...is just crazy," finished Tifa, and he nodded vigorously. "So we'll just have to... wait?"

"Yup," said Cloud evenly, his hands stuck in his pockets once again. "If that fails, then we'll go to my dad and beg and plead for our lives. I think he really wants us to get married," he added in a perplexed tone.

Tifa sighed, looking around the dark gardens and having never appreciated its beauty less. "I hope this works," she said in a voice that expressed a lot of doubt. Then, suddenly remembering something, the brunette reached into her school bag and withdrew the small pendant.

"Is this yours?" she held it out to him and Cloud took it back gratefully.

"Thanks," he said, clutching the chain securely in his palm. "I thought I lost it."

Tifa studied him closely as he slid open the pendant with a soft look in his azure eyes. "The girl inside is really pretty," she said innocently. "Is she... Aeris?"

Cloud looked up at her suddenly, a questioning look on his face. She smiled in a way that told him her suspicions were confirmed.

"When I had your phone I saw that you had saved a lot of text messages from her," she said slightly apologetically, and his mouth twitched partly from amusement and partly from exasperation. Cloud didn't say anything, though, and the look on his face - embarrassed, yet tender and rather endearing - made her feel odd. Almost...a sinking, sad kind of feeling, like how she felt when she was younger and had just missed the ice cream truck.

"You must really like her," Tifa said perceptively and she chuckled when he glanced at her in a baffled manner again. "It's written all over your face. Why... why don't you just tell her you like her?"

To be honest, Tifa was no expert on relationships and romance, but she was a girl and hence had an intuitive grasp on these types of things.

Cloud said nothing; his eyes were fixed on the water.

"What if Aeris already knows," he finally said in a hard voice. "But is just pretending not to? If I tell her, then it could ruin our friendship - and I can't risk that. We've grown up like brother and sister since we were kids."

Tifa was contemplative for a moment. Cloud didn't even know why they were talking about this, but he found himself reliant upon her answer.

"Well," she said gently. "Then you have nothing to worry about. If you two are really that close, then even if she doesn't return your feelings it shouldn't wreck a bond that deep and meaningful."

She smiled encouragingly at him and he returned it feebly, his mind mulling over her words. Tifa shifted her school bag properly back on as it was making her shoulders ache and Cloud eyed this shrewdly.

"C'mon, let's go home or they'll worry about us," he said resignedly, surprising her by reaching out and taking her bag. Then, hoisting it easily over his shoulder along with his own bag, he started to lead the way out. Tifa followed him, faintly mystified but feeling a bit better.

* * *

A/N: Baha, and the plot thickens. ;) And I totally disown most of it, because it's based upon a wonderful, wonderful k-drama. Your reviews were all so sweet and encouraging, so ARRIGATO! Tell me what you think of this chapter. Stay tuned for next week, muahaha, for we get to meet this intriguing, important figure Aeris Gainsborough... and somebody else. ;) I'm on a v. long, extended holiday at the moment after finishing school (whoohoo!) so I can write and update all I like. Now - on with your feedback! - msq.


	5. Buckling To Pressure

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII and the Korean drama _Sassy Girl Choon-Hyang_. ;)

**Golden Sonnet**

**Chapter Five**

**

* * *

**

Cloud switched on the light in his bedroom, dropped his bag on the floor, took off his blazer and then collapsed face-first onto his bed. There, he released a very long, very loud and very muffled groan.

Something buzzed in his pocket and he extracted his phone out with difficulty, still with his face in his blankets. He lifted his head without any real conviction.

_Hi Cloud, how's Nibelheim? I haven't heard from you in ages. I miss you! Call me back soon... or else! Take care. Aeris xx._

He read the message several times, his heart feeling lighter and his stomach feeling less knotted with each reading. He sat up properly as he called back.

"Hi Aeris," said Cloud with a meek smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, everything's great here... how are you? Oh... really? What?" His blue eyes lit up and his smile broadened as he sat up straight. "Really? You're coming to Nibelheim?"

* * *

"Oh, poor, poor Tifa," said Yuffie tragically during their sport lesson. "What have you done to deserve this cruel fate?"

Tifa's mouth twitched as she stretched her arms. "Please don't say it like that," she implored. "It makes it seem so much worse."

"Well, it _is_ that bad," said Yuffie nonchalantly. "You have to marry _him_ over there. This kind of stuff only happens in melodramas."

"How many times have I told you to stop watching that junk and concentrate on your studies, Yuffie - "

Meanwhile, on the other side of the oval where the boys were doing push-ups and chin-ups, Vincent and Cloud were having a similar conversation.

"Why don't you want to marry Tifa?" good, loyal Vincent asked pointedly. "I mean, all the guys think she's the best-looking in the school."

"No, she's not," said Cloud through clenched teeth, lifting himself over the bar and then lowering himself again.

"She's smart - "

" - whatever - "

" - and she has a great personality."

He released the bar and jumped off. Catching his breath, Cloud shot a quizzical look at him, "That dragon? I don't think so."

Vincent raised an eyebrow, "What, you two still don't get along?"

Cloud half-shrugged, preparing himself for some push-ups. "It's fine, I guess," he said. "Though to be honest, I want to put as much distance between us as possible. Have you ever had the feeling that you've been around somebody too much in too little time?"

Vincent shook his head. Cloud sighed dramatically.

"Well, in any case, that's how I feel."

After their lesson, the students got changed out of their sports wear back into their normal uniform. Still subdued by the turn of events in her once complacent life, Tifa dawdled out of the school with a glazed look in her eyes. Other students around her were skipping out, chatting and laughing merrily without a worry in the world. The brunette paused in her tracks when a man stepped out of the navy blue car parked outside the school, seemingly because he had spotted her.

Mr Strife, dressed in a black trench coat and looking upright and dignified as always, stood on the pavement with a warm smile. A surprised Tifa returned the smile and gave a little bow before walking over.

"Good afternoon, Mr Strife."

He inclined his head, still smiling at her like an uncle smiling at a favourite niece. "Tifa," he said in a gentle, appraising and welcoming tone, something which surprised her as she had only ever seen him enraged at Cloud. "I was wondering if you'd like to take a walk with me."

Tifa nodded, wondering what this was all about, and together they set off down the pavement, walking past the neat, tidy front yards of cottages.

"I've heard so much about you, Tifa," said Mr Strife benevolently. "Top of the school, aren't you? And you want to go to university?"

Tifa nodded amiably, "Yes, sir."

"And your father is a doctor?"

She nodded again, "Yes. It means he's busy a lot of the time, but he loves his work so that's all that matters. My mum died when I was seven, so my Aunt Rina visits often to fill up the house more when it feels a bit empty."

Mr Strife looked at her with a kind, sympathetic and admiring gaze as they came to a stop.

"You've grown up to be a strong girl, Tifa," he said earnestly. "Responsible and mature - the opposite of Cloud, actually." He chuckled slightly, but it was with some regret that he continued, "Cloud is an only child and so I'm afraid to say he's very spoilt. You have what he lacks, Tifa..." He smiled and looked at her. "One of the reasons why I like you so much."

Tifa looked back in embarrassment, unsure of what to say.

"I know both of you are still bewildered by everything," Mr Strife continued quietly. "But I really am anxious to have you marry Cloud. I'd be very honoured to have you as a daughter-in-law." He fixed his warm, kindly grey eyes on her and she felt a squirm of guilt as he said softly, "Please consider this, Tifa."

She smiled at the stately man and nodded, almost whispering, "I will, sir."

But beneath the smile Tifa was starting to feel uncomfortable and squeamish - mixed with some guilt as Mr Strife's sincere, appraising gaze swam into her mind. After he left, she found herself tracing the steps towards the gardens again, lost in her own thoughts.

It didn't look like Cloud's plan to "wait" for their parents to return to their senses was going to work any time soon. Mr Strife was still clearly persistent on the idea and to be honest Tifa didn't see a way out of it either. A few days' reflection had allowed the news to sink in and now she felt a sense of weary resignation.

But still - _marry_ Cloud Strife?

"No," she said to herself firmly. "No, no, no. Don't go there. Can't go there."

Not even the familiar sight of the wooden bridge, the blooming cherry trees and the wide, grand pond set Tifa at ease. Frustrated and confused, the dark-haired girl sat herself down on a bench that had evidently just been given a fresh coat of green paint, but she took no notice of this nor the man standing near her, looking at her as though taken-aback.

"Um," the man said after a moment, clearly amused. "Excuse me, miss..."

Jolted out of her thoughts, Tifa looked up at him with a slight frown. The stranger was a tall, young man who couldn't be any more than a few years older than her, but in contrast to her school girl uniform he was wearing a long white coat on top of a black turtleneck. His face was finely chiselled and handsome, though slightly haughty and proud, and was framed with sandy-blonde hair.

"Well, the thing is, you're sitting on..." he gestured wordlessly at the bench and then uncrumpled the piece of paper in his left hand. It read: _Wet Paint_.

Tifa stared from the smudged piece of paper to the amused man to the bench she was sitting on. Then she sprang up, crying out in disgust when she craned her head and saw that the back of her blazer and skirt now had lines of green paint imprinted upon them.

She looked at the man in exasperation, "Why did you take the sign off?"

The man looked rather clueless for a moment, something that didn't suit his haughty face. "Well, I didn't see it before and I got some paint on my hand, and I had to wipe it on something..."

Tifa spared him a look of disdain, "Could you only think of yourself?" she asked him reproachfully, and taking the crumpled paper from his hand, Tifa flattened it out and stuck it back on the freshly painted bench. The man stared.

"There," she said. "Please be more considerate of others next time, sir."

And with that, Tifa walked towards the bathrooms with a lag in her step. He stared after her curiously. A wry smile was on his lips.

"What's wrong with you these days, Lockhart?" Tifa asked herself, staring forlornly at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She had managed to wipe most of the paint off her clothes, but there were still patches that had already dried on.

She sighed and turned her head - only to see that the man had walked into the bathroom. The _ladies'_ bathroom.

Her jaw dropped open and she gasped, "What are you doing in here?"

The man looked thoroughly taken-aback, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" she said loudly, putting her hands on her hips. "You're in the ladies' room. You're lucky no one else is in here - they might have gotten the wrong idea completely. Now please - get out!"

His mouth started to twitch as though suppressing laughter, but it was with a sombre expression that the man said, "I don't think I will. Aren't I supposed to be in here?"

Tifa's mouth dropped open again, unable to believe the nerve of him. He turned away with a smirk, then turned back to her and reached out for her arm. She shrieked and backed away.

"Don't touch me! I'll scream!" she warned, her eyes wide with apprehension.

The stranger gave her a condescending look and there was a bit of a glaring contest for a moment before he grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the bathroom. Tifa shrieked and tried to pry him off, but his grip was relentless and only gave way when they were back outside. There, he let go of her with more force than necessary, and Tifa rubbed her arm.

"What was that all - " she started furiously, but broke off when he pointed to the sign on the door of the bathroom they had just come out of.

_Gentlemen._

And then she warily looked at the sign on the opposite bathroom.

_Ladies._

The sandy-blonde man gave her a smirk when she finally turned to look at him meekly. "So I'd say our roles were reversed just then, wouldn't you?" he asked lightly as the girl cringed and looked like she wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow her up whole.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, more to the ground than anything. Something about his arrogant tone, though, propelled Tifa to look up with a spark in her eyes. "Still, you could've said something instead of letting me beat you and make a fool out of myself."

The man's mouth twitched again, but he still retorted, "And maybe you could have checked the sign before entering the bathroom."

"I have a lot on my mind," said Tifa loftily.

"That so much is obvious."

"And - and besides, it's _your_ fault I had to go in here at all," she added defensively. Being embarrassed like this was loosening her tongue and making her say things she knew she wouldn't otherwise. "If you hadn't been so selfish and ripped the sign off the bench, then I wouldn't have sat down and gotten into this mess in the first place!"

That did it; the man burst into laughter that he had been holding back for awhile. Tifa gazed at him precariously, her peevishness melting away as she asked, "You're not laughing at me, are you?"

He was still chuckling. "You're an amusing girl," he finally said. He continued to gaze at her in amusement as she frowned at this, unsure of how to take it. Finally, he stuck out his hand formally and said, "Perhaps we started off on the wrong foot. Let's have a proper introduction. What's your name?"

Tifa stared at his hand and then gave a little scoffing laugh.

"It's Tifa," she said simply.

"Tifa..."

"Tifa," she repeated pointedly.

He raised an eyebrow, "No surname?"

She also raised an eyebrow, "I'm not giving my full name to a stranger I'm only meeting for the first time. That could be dangerous."

That made him chuckle again and he nodded agreeably, "Fine. You have a point. Well, Tifa, it's nice to meet you," he said cordially as they shook hands. "I'm Rufus."

"It's nice to meet you too, Mister Rufus," she said civilly. Now that things had started afresh, Tifa was returning back to her usual, amiable self and Rufus seemed to notice this. He smiled at her little honorific but said nothing about it.

"Now if you're not too busy, how about you give me a tour of this garden?" he asked. "It's my first time here."

Tifa was surprised at this request but she complied, and soon the pair were touring around the Nibelheim gardens and chatting freely. It was nice not to think about her troubles for a moment as Tifa pointed out special features of the garden, and Rufus was interested by her knowledge of the plants and flowers and kept making comments about the beautiful scenery.

"So you said earlier that you have a lot on your mind," he said near the end of the tour, both of them ambling along the pathway. "Why is that?"

Tifa smiled ruefully as she thought about it. "My life has been all tangled up recently," she said. "I keep getting myself into scrapes - you saw today, I managed to get paint all over my clothes and end up in the boys' bathroom. And now I might have to ma - " She stopped herself and shook her head, saying, "Ugh, never mind. It's very complicated."

Rufus smirked, "Ah. When you put it like that, I think it boils down to problems involving a boy. Am I right?"

She stared at him for a second. Then she grinned in spite of herself and nodded, "I guess you are, mister." She sighed disconsolately as her problems returned full-frontal, "I have a very twisted destiny to have met a boy like him."

They drew to a stop and Tifa, catching a quick glance of her watch, stood up straighter and said, "Well, I should go home now. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay here, Mister Rufus. Nibelheim is a really pretty place."

"I can see that," Rufus inclined his head favourably at her and she grinned and waved. "I hope things work out for you, Miss Tifa."

He stood and watched her walk off with a smile playing on his mouth. At that moment, another short, stout man in a green suit hurried over to his side. He peered curiously at Tifa's retreating figure, following Rufus' line of vision.

"President Shinra?" the man questioned. He had a deep, gruff and boisterous voice that suggested at an arrogant personality. "Did you look around, sir? This garden is excellent, isn't it? Spectacularly well-suited for the set of our new movie. I always thought Nibelheim was just some no-name town in the middle of the mountains, but it has its merits. What do you think, sir?"

Rufus Shinra nodded slightly, still smiling wryly.

"It's good enough," he stated shortly. He turned his head slightly to the side and said, "Call up the rest of the crew and tell them to make final preparations before coming up here, Heidegger. We can start shooting by next week."

"Yes, sir!" Heidegger bowed deeply and scurried off.

The sky was already darkening by the time Tifa reached her home; she paused for a long while outside her front gate, reliving the fiasco of that morning with Cloud half-naked on the porch and the rest of the family chasing after him.

She let out a deep breath and looked up to the sky. "Should I just do it?" she asked out loud.

Then, shaking her head, the brunette tottered up the little path and went through the front door. She slipped off her shoes and heard her father's and aunt's voices coming from the den. She was about to call out to them when she heard her own name in the conversation. Curious, Tifa stopped and listened at the doorjamb.

"Why oh why is Tifa taking such a long time to make a decision?" Aunt Rina was saying fretfully. "Oh, as much as I adore that girl, she is incorrigibly stubborn. Can't she see the benefits for her if she just marries the boy?"

"She gets it from you, Rina," replied her father. He sounded tired, as though he had just gotten home from work. "And you needn't worry so much about her. Tifa is a strong girl and she can make her own decision on this, no matter how long it takes. We just need to be supportive of her, Rina. I trust her to do what's best and right."

"But how do you know that?" asked her aunt, sounded exasperated. "You know how unpredictable your daughter is - what if she turns her back on the school, just to avoid getting married now? You can't let her do that. _I _won't let her do that."

"Yes, I will, and you will too," said Mr Lockhart sternly. "If that's what she wants, then that's what will happen. This is her life."

Aunt Rina sighed deeply, "I mean, it's really not that bad. The boy seems like a nice kid - "

"Just a few days ago you swore to rip him to pieces, Rina."

" - and their family is wealthy, plus they promised to take good care of Tif. It's the easy way out! Oh, dear Tifa, why must you always take the complicated route? You make me worry so much, you silly girl..."

"Are you really that worried?" asked Mr Lockhart, bemused.

"Yes, of course!" exclaimed Aunt Rina as though it was obvious. "All these horrible, demeaning rumours flying around, attacking my poor niece - and the longer she delays making a choice, the greater chance that stupid school might boot her out - and then where does that leave her?" She started to grumble, "I avoided getting married so I wouldn't have to worry about kids, but great job that did..."

Tifa heard her father chuckle lightly. There was a silence for a minute or so, and Tifa was about to make a lot of noise and burst into the room as though she had just arrived when her father spoke, in a quiet and serious tone.

"Honestly... I would also prefer Tifa to marry Cloud."

"Exactly. Of course you would," Aunt Rina said triumphantly. "It's the only way she can stay at this school and then move on to university - "

"It's not just that," Mr Lockhart said softly. "If she marries him, she'll move in with his family and they'll take care of her. I... I know I'm not nearly around enough for Tifa and it'll put my mind more at ease if she's living with a family, even if it is just for one year."

"So you do worry about her," said Aunt Rina in a much more tender voice.

"Yes, I do, although I try not to show it," admitted Mr Lockhart. "I know she doesn't want me to worry about her. It's funny. As her father, perhaps I should be adamantly opposed to the idea of marrying her off at this age. On the contrary, I would rather her go through with this. The Strifes are a fine family and we're all in the same boat now. Our children are the only ones who can help each other."

"Good, then why don't you tell all this to Tifa?" said Aunt Rina hopefully. "She'll listen to you."

Mr Lockhart chuckled again, yet there was a sad note to his usually musical laughter.

"No," he said. "This is her decision to make." He sighed and there was a rustle as he picked up his newspaper, "If only her mother was still around. She'd know what to do."

The conversation ended here and silence fell in the den. Just outside at the doorway, Tifa blinked back tears and walked away as quietly as she could. Inside, she was steeling herself to make her decision.

_Don't worry, Daddy,_ she thought determinedly._ I won't make you worry anymore._

_

* * *

_

The weekend was welcomed by all, young and old, when it finally arrived at the end of another busy, tiring week. Elderly couples went for walks and families came out to have picnics at the park. Tifa had made up her mind firmly on what she was going to do and had grown quite used to it by now. All that remained was seeking out Cloud.

"Hello?" said Cloud, picking up his ringing phone.

"Hey, where are you?" came Tifa's voice at the other end. "I need to talk to you."

Cloud bit his lip, looking reluctant. "I'm at the amusement park, but - err... can we talk later?" he asked, his blue eyes scanning the road in front of him. "This isn't really a good time."

"But this is important," she insisted. "It'll only take a moment."

"Then tell me over the phone."

"No, no, we need to talk in person. Just stay right there - I'm coming in that direction anyway. See you soon." She hung up.

"Hey - wait - hello?" Cloud said urgently. "Hello?" He looked at his phone and sighed heavily, but he was distracted by a familiar voice calling out his name.

"Cloud!"

He broke into a grin when he looked up and saw Aeris, waving out of the car window from the front seat. The red sports car came to a stop at the curb and Aeris climbed out, beaming at Cloud, but the blonde's attention was temporarily diverted to the man sitting in the driver's seat; her boyfriend. He couldn't help pulling a sort of childish grimace when the guy leaned over and said, "I'll pick you up later, okay, Aer?"

Aeris smiled at him and nodded, "I'll call you then. Bye."

She turned to look at Cloud's jealous expression and laughed, reaching out and squeezing his cheeks together so that his lips puckered up. "Look at me," she said, her emerald eyes sparkling as his eyes darted back to her. "It's been so long, Cloud. Have you survived without big sister Aeris to look after you?"

Cloud had to grin, "I've managed without you very well, Aeris." They both laughed before heading into the amusement park, talking about her car trip to Nibelheim and his new school.

"Nibelheim is so pretty," she said wistfully, holding onto Cloud's arm as she gazed around. "You are so lucky to be living here. Where are your parents? Can we go visit them later? Ooh, look! Let's go ride the pirate ship!"

Cloud laughed as she dragged him over to the humongous, swinging ship. It suddenly hit him how much he _had_ missed Aeris - her bubbly, bright and cheerful personality, always enthusiastic and playful. He thanked his lucky stars that the film company she was working with just happened to be shooting a movie in Nibelheim this month, giving him the chance to see her without having to go all the way back to Midgar.

"Do you remember the first time I made you go on the pirate ship?" asked Aeris with a grin as they climbed into the seats. "You were crying so much, trying to get out of it."

Cloud cringed, "Yeah. And I threw up three times afterwards."

When the ride was over, Cloud staggered off it, not as sick and tearful as he had been on his first time, but still feeling queasy. Aeris giggled as she helped him down the steps of the ride; she was definitely the more adventurous of the two.

But then, looking up, Cloud saw something that made his heart skip a beat; Tifa was wandering among the people in the park and he had no doubt who she was looking for.

"Cloud, let's go ride it again," said Aeris excitedly.

Cloud tore his eyes away from Tifa and tried to smile, "Uh - you go ride it, Aeris. I'm feeling a little sick. I'll watch you. Go, go." He hastily pushed her up the stairs, ignoring her protests ("If you're not going to, then I won't either..."). He grinned and waved at her when she was sitting down in the ship, casting him a suspicious look.

He waited until the ship had risen in the air, then, his face set, he bolted over to Tifa and almost knocked her over; he had grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around to face him.

"Ah!" she gasped.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed as soon as she saw him. "I told you this wasn't a good time!"

Tifa pulled herself together and persisted, "But I told you this is important."

He clicked his tongue ill-temperedly, checking the pirate ship to make sure it was still going. "Fine, fine," he said impatiently. "Say it now. What is it?"

Tifa steeled herself, gathering all her courage, and said in a bright tone, "Let's get married."

Whatever Cloud had been expecting to hear, it wasn't that. His blue eyes widened comically and he quickly reacted to cover her mouth with his hand, checking around in paranoia to see if anyone else had overheard. Tifa was startled and tried to speak, but only made muffled sounds; he took her by the shoulders again and steered her away from the pirate ship vicinity.

"Get married? Are you being serious?" demanded Cloud in shock once they were well away.

Unfathomed, Tifa nodded and started rambling, "Your father wants us to and my father wants me to, and so does my aunt, and if we do get married it'll make this year a lot easier - "

Cloud shook his head agitatedly, "You're not making sense!" He looked around wildly and, on a whim, pulled her into a revolving teacup, where the two sat down and, unbothered by the circles they were travelling in, talked properly.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" he asked, completely at sea. "The other day you were trying to throw me off the bridge to avoid it."

Tifa sighed deeply, her hands clasped in her lap. "I know. But I've been thinking about it a lot. We can't afford to wait any longer or the school will kick us out. And... I can't leave. At first, when I thought it was between leaving the school and getting married, I thought I wouldn't mind leaving at all. But I can't. I need to stay to finish my final year so I can go to university. My family really wants me to go and I also really want to go. If I leave, I'll have to start all over again at a new school."

Cloud listened with a frown; he was no longer bewildered and indignant, but pensive.

"Besides, your dad really does want us to marry," continued Tifa as their teacup spun slowly. "He thinks it'll be good for us. And although I'm not meant to know it, my dad and my auntie also thinks it's best.

"And finally," she said contritely. "I don't like seeing my family worried because of me, especially my dad. I know he'll feel better if I marry you and take the more secure way out." She looked at him uncertainly, "What do you think? Should we just... get married?"

Cloud was still frowning, allowing her reasons to sink in as the teacups finally revolved to a stop.

"Cloud?"

Tifa looked up to see who had spoken. A tall, slender girl stood in front of their ride, dressed in jeans and a lacy pink top. Chestnut brown curls spilled from her head and her face was exquisite and beautiful, complimented by a pair of bright green eyes. She was gazing at Cloud questioningly. Tifa also glanced at him, but he was stony with silence.

With a sigh, the blonde got to his feet and got out of the teacup. He looked between the two girls, both of them smiling uncertainly at each other, and finally said, "Aeris, this is Tifa. Tifa... this is Aeris."

"It's nice to meet you," Aeris smiled.

Tifa managed a weak smile back, "You too." But she glared at Cloud, annoyed now that she realised the situation. '_This isn't a good time...' Now I know why._ "I'll be going now," the brunette said shortly, turning away. "Have fun."

She stalked off and Cloud, looking torn and frustrated, said hastily to Aeris, "Just wait a sec, Aeris," before running after Tifa. He caught up with her at the carousel and pulled on her arm.

"Hey, what's the matter with you?"

Tifa glowered up at him, but she seemed more angry at herself than anything. "I'm embarrassed," she said coldly. "I just came charging in here talking about us getting married while you were - you were on a date."

Cloud shifted uncomfortably, "It's not a date."

"Well, it doesn't matter in any case," she said forlornly. "Just forget about everything I said and enjoy the rest of your time."

"How can I forget when you're so serious about it?" asked Cloud reproachfully.

Tifa looked him in the eye, "Because I was only thinking about myself. I didn't consider you or what you wanted. You have someone you like and that's the only thing that's important."

He stared at her for a moment, trying to make a decision in his boggling mind. Yes, it was true he liked Aeris - a lot. But he couldn't just abandon Tifa, either. It was partly his fault she was in this mess, anyway, and she had come to him for help.

Coming to a decision, Cloud took Tifa's arm and dragged her onto the carousel ("Hey - what are you doing?"), picking her up easily and placing her on a horse. She stared at him as he put the ticket in her hand and told her evenly, "Hold onto this and wait. I'll be back with an answer."

Before she could reply, he hopped off and the merry-go-round started to turn, and all Tifa could do was cling onto her horse and watch him walk back over to Aeris.

"Ah, Cloud, who was that?" Aeris asked playfully, poking him in the shoulder. "She must be your girlfriend, am I right?"

Cloud half-smiled as he sat down on the ledge and she joined him, laughing at his expression. "Ooh, look at you," she teased. "She is so your girlfriend." Aeris let out a deep, theatrical sigh and mock-lamented, "I'm so disappointed. You always used to follow me around, Cloud, but today you left me to see her. What am I going to do?"

She laughed softly but Cloud glanced sideways at her.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked quietly. "Are you really disappointed?"

She stopped laughing, thrown off by his serious tone. "Cloud?" she questioned uncertainly.

Cloud's eyes were fixed on the ground in front of him, his hands were tense on his knees. "Do you know why I always followed you, Aeris?" his voice was barely a whisper.

Aeris was looking apprehensive now, all the humour gone from her expression. "Cloud... please don't say it," she pleaded, but he didn't listen to her.

"If I ask you to take me as a man," said Cloud in a low voice, still not looking at her. "Would you accept me?"

"Cloud, stop, please," said Aeris firmly, now sounding upset. "You're making me feel uncomfortable."

Those words went through him like a knife, but Cloud kept up a brave front as he said, "Is that... your final word?"

"_Yes_." Aeris gazed at him severely, genuinely annoyed that she had to do this to him. "I don't see you that way, Cloud. You're like a brother to me. I thought you knew that."

She stood up and walked off, leaving Cloud sitting by himself on the ledge with a hollow, twisted smile on his face.

_Alright, Aeris... I'm sorry. But I had to try._

The carousel ride was over and Tifa walked tentatively over to the hunched figure. She paused a foot away from him, sympathy and pity all over her face. Cloud sensed her presence and stood up. To her surprise, he smiled at her.

"I can marry you now," he said in a brave attempt at cheerfulness.

Tifa looked at him as though he were a wounded puppy. "Cloud, are you sure?" she asked softly. "Maybe you should wait for a little bit, or talk to her again, or -"

But he shook his head firmly. "No," he said. "Aeris already gave me an answer and I've given you mine." He smiled again, and this time it was more real and sincere. "Let's get married. You can continue to work hard at school. Maybe it's time for me to start studying properly."

Tifa studied him closely, feeling as fragile as he probably ought to. In any case, he wasn't showing it. There was a determined, almost optimistic glint in his blue eyes, and she began to wonder if Aeris had been weighing him down all this time.

"Alright," she agreed with a small smile. "Let's get married."

* * *

A/N: Whoohoo, and it keeps going! Hehe, now I know some of you are a bit bamboozled by the whole marriage thing and I agree that it's unusual. But Asian countries are usually quite conservative and to spend a night together before you're married or if you're still in school is not very acceptable. I think things have gone more lenient in recent times, but yeah. It makes for a good story. xD Oh dear I'm so hungry atm... so I shall leave you here and await upon your piles and piles of wonderful reviews. :) Sayonara! - msq.


	6. Promise

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII and the Korean drama _Sassy Girl Choon-Hyang_. ;)

A/N: Hi all! Just some a few answers to some questions in reviews. No, Zack isn't Aeris' boyfriend we saw in the last chapter. ;) Mainly because I believe Zack and Aeris belong together and this boyfriend won't be staying around! And yes, Rufus _will_ be the framing-guy. But that's not till later! Now read on and enjoy. :)

**Golden Sonnet**

**Chapter Six**

**

* * *

**

Cloud and Tifa sat opposite one another in a cafe, looking expectant. Promptly, Cloud took out a sheet of paper and put it on the table between them.

"It's the marriage contract," he explained as she picked it up and looked at it. "My dad says we'll have a proper marriage ceremony when we go to university - that is, if we decide to stay together like he hopes." He cleared his throat awkwardly, then continued, "We'll be married for the year. Let's reconsider our marriage afterwards."

Tifa nodded and said briskly, "We'll receive our parents' help and support through high school, but after that we'll have to start taking care of ourselves."

Cloud also nodded, scanning the document laid back down on the table. "Consummation of marriage..." he read absently, his brow furrowed.

Her eyes widened as she exclaimed, "Consummation? Are you crazy? That's what's gotten us here in the first place!"

"I know, I know," he said quickly, startled by her tone. "I was just thinking out loud. I don't want to share a room with you either," he added in case there was any confusion. She narrowed her eyes at him, then her expression cleared up as she stated the last term of their unique marriage.

"When one of us finds somebody else, we have to be cool about letting go," she said.

"Fine," Cloud replied, his arms folded onto the table. He grinned as he passed over a pen, "So, let's sign it?"

Tifa also smiled. She nodded decisively, "Fine. Let's sign it." Cloud watched her as she picked up the pen and wrote her signature on the line. She passed both the pen and contract over to him and Cloud signed.

When he was done, he laid down the pen and they looked at each other, feeling a little funny. There was no turning back now. They were bound.

Then smiling spiritedly, Tifa picked up her glass of juice and said with twinkling eyes, "Cloud Strife, let's work hard. We'll have a happy marriage."

He nodded in agreement, lifting up his glass of Coke and clinking it with hers. "To a happy, successful marriage," he echoed heroically, and they both grinned and took a sip.

* * *

The start of the new contract and new marriage wasn't going to be all smooth sailing, however. For a couple of days Tifa spent her spare time packing away the things in her room and Aunt Rina helped a great deal during the day; soon, most of her possessions were in boxes and her room was barer than she ever remembered it. Only her clothes weren't packed, and two days before Tifa was due to move in with Cloud's family, the brunette came home from school to find her father sitting on her bed, trying to fold her clothes into a suitcase.

"Daddy?" Tifa said questioningly, then chuckled and crossed over to help him. "You don't fold shirts like this, Dad, they wrinkle, see?"

"Ah," said Mr Lockhart comprehendingly, glancing into the almost full suitcase. "You might have to re-fold the rest of your clothes, then..."

She giggled, shaking a few of her clothes free. "Just leave packing my clothes to me and Aunt Rina," she said wisely, turning them away on her bed and gazing up at her father. But he didn't seem to want to meet her eyes and quickly picked up the clothes she had tossed aside.

"You can take your clothes first and then we'll send you your books the next day," he said, fiddling absently with a jacket. "Then we can bring you some other things if you want... but otherwise, we can leave them here in these boxes for the rest of the year..."

"Daddy," Tifa said suddenly, moving closer and taking both of her father's hands. He finally looked at her, chocolate brown eyes meeting burgundy-coloured ones. "How about I just stay here?" she said hopefully. "I don't have to move into the Strifes' home, I can just keep living here with you and Aunt Rina - "

Mr Lockhart smiled tenderly and cupped one side of her face. "Afraid you'll be homesick?" he chided lightly.

She nodded wordlessly and he chuckled, moving his hand to the back of her head and bringing her close for a hug. "Don't worry, angel," he said soothingly, though there was a sad spark in his eyes. "Just think of it as moving out for university one year earlier than we expected. And you better get used to it, hey? I'll still be across town now and you can visit all you want, but next year I'll be all the way in the Icicle Inn while you're living it up in Midgar..."

"Mmm, I'll have all the fun in the world," murmured Tifa, her eyes getting a little moist. She sat there secure in her father's warm arms, wishing that she could stay there forever.

Aunt Rina barged in after a moment, grinning sheepishly and asking to borrow money from Tifa (as unusual as that may seem to most, it was a common practice of Aunt Rina) because she couldn't be bothered withdrawing a bit of gil from the bank.

Finally, the day arrived when Tifa was meant to move in with her new family. The Strifes had given her the guest room upstairs, which happened to be directly opposite Cloud's room. Instead of a hallway between the doors, however, there was another smaller, living room upstairs with two couches, a coffee table and a small shelf of books. Another two doors led to the study room and the bathroom.

Her new room was already furnished with the basics, so all Tifa had to do was put up her clothes in the wardrobe, change the bed sheets and arrange her possessions on the desk. She looked around the room with a small smile and yet couldn't help feeling a pang of loss; she already missed her old bedroom.

Before she could get too sad, though, there was a knock on the door and Cloud entered. He was carrying a basket full of fruit and homemade muffins, and was wearing a stiff sort of expression as though doing this was against his will.

"Welcome basket," he explained, holding it out to her. "From my mum," he added at her inquiring look.

Touched, Tifa smiled and took the basket, looking at it closely as she sat back on the edge of her neatly made bed. "That's really nice of your mum," she said. "I'll go down and thank her in a second."

"And me," Cloud took care to add, watching her pick up a muffin and break off a piece to eat. "I bought the basket."

Her eyes lit up, evidently having not heard him. "Wow, it's delicious!" she exclaimed. "Did your mum bake them?"

"Yeah, but I helped make the batter," he said ostentatiously.

Tifa threw him a look, amused at his childishness. Then she held out her muffin to him and said, "Want to try some? You should sample your own food."

"I've already had three, but okay," Cloud said flippantly, reaching out to break off a piece for himself. He sat himself on the chair and for a moment they chewed in silence, every now and then glancing at each other and then looking away quickly, pretending to study the ceiling or the walls. It had suddenly become a little strange and awkward; who would have thought they would some day end up sitting and eating in the same bedroom?

"So," Cloud broke the silence, sounding bemused. "This is married life, eh?"

Relieved that he had spoken, Tifa nodded dolefully and put another bit of muffin in her mouth, "I guess so."

He glanced sideways at her, a smile playing around his mouth. "And look how close we are already," he said, trying to keep a straight face. "We are such a happy couple. We're even sharing food."

Tifa glanced down at her muffin, then rolled her eyes. "Ugh, you and your jokes," she said, breaking a bit off her muffin and pegging it at him; Cloud ducked and the cake bounced off the wall, breaking apart into several crumbs and falling everywhere. He looked back round and gasped dramatically.

"Ooh, making the house dirty already," accused Cloud. He couldn't suppress a grin as he stood up and Tifa made to throw the entire muffin at him. He backed away, "What, you're going to make the place even worse? You wouldn't dare - AHH!"

She had pretended to throw the muffin and he bolted for the door, yelling, "Hey, Mum - _Mum_! Tifa's defiling the house!"

She chuckled to herself as she heard him thunder down the stairs.

* * *

As indignant as she was about Cloud and Tifa's marriage, and as much as she personally could not stand Cloud, when Yuffie heard that they weren't having an official marriage ceremony until after high school, she promptly took matters into her own hands. Cloud and Tifa had no part in the preparations and only received invitations to their own wedding ceremony a day before the event.

On that night, Cloud and Tifa met outside of the school hall where the event was going to take place. Both were feeling somewhat odd and amused, wondering what Yuffie had in store for them.

"Wow, I see you went all out," grinned Tifa, surveying his outfit. Cloud was wearing a black suit and a white collar shirt. He shrugged with an effortless grin.

"Mum said I should look nice," he replied. He also took a step back to glance up and down at her attire, and said impressively, "And right back at you, bad luck charm."

Tifa's smile widened; she had gone back to her own home that afternoon and Aunt Rina had dolled her up in a simple white dress and a matching cardigan with a bow at the front. Her brown hair, usually let loose with her fringe clipped back, was pulled back in an elegant bun.

"Yuffie and Vincent put a lot of effort into this party," she said to him emphatically. "So - "

"I know, I know," he cut in. "So we should act really surprised and touched. Right?"

She half-smirked at his insolence, but nodded, "Basically."

"Alright then. Let's do this."

With one last half-grin at each other, unable to believe what they were doing but entertained all the same, the two walked over to the double doors of the hall. Cloud opened one door and Tifa walked in. At first, they were baffled, blinking into the apparent darkness, when the lights just above their heads flickered on and something seemed to be falling and unfolding in the air. Both Cloud and Tifa turned back and grinned when they saw a large, painted banner unrolling to reveal the words:_ Congratulations, Tifa Lockhart and Cloud Strife._

And then, as balloons and confetti showered upon them, there was the start of soft music from the speakers. They looked towards the stage by the dim light and made out the figure of Yuffie, carrying a bouquet of flowers and singing harmoniously as she walked to the centre of the stage.

"You're there by my side, in every way," she chimed with a grin. "I know that you would not forsake me."

"I give you my life, would not think twice," came a low, familiar male voice. "Your love is all I need, believe me." Vincent had appeared from the opposite side of the stage, and, like Yuffie, was singing as he made his way into the middle to join her. He was carrying a candle and that was when Cloud and Tifa realised how many more candles there were in the hall; they looked and saw with a jolt that most of their class was standing in two lines down the length of the hall, creating a path to the stage. They were each holding a candle that they uncovered after Vincent had appeared. Everyone was in their school uniforms.

"Wow," exclaimed Tifa softly, gazing star struck at the beautiful scene before them. "They must have put so much effort in this."

Cloud was also impressed, looking around with a grin, "Not bad." He turned to her and held out his hand as the singing continued, "Come on. Let's walk down the aisle."

"What?" she said, thrown off by his outstretched hand.

"We said we'd do this properly," he said soberly, waving his hand. "Come on, hurry."

Tifa considered this for a moment, then smiled placidly as she put her hand in his. "That's right," she threw him a look. "I almost forgot." He smirked and together, hand-in-hand, they walked down the aisle, smiling in embarrassment but genuinely as their classmates sang and beamed at them, waving their candles and moving in time with the song.

"I may not say it quite as much as I should," sang the boys.

"When I say I love you, darling, that means for good," chimed in the girls.

"So open up your heart and let me in," came the boys again.

And then, altogether and in unison, with Cloud and Tifa still making their way to the stage, glancing at each other and then looking away and chortling, they sung the chorus.

"_And I will love you till forever.  
Until death do us part, we'll be together.  
So take my hand and hold on tight,  
And we'll get there.  
This I swear._"

The couple reached the stage, Tifa flushed but beaming and Cloud also with a mellow grin, where Yuffie and Vincent were waiting. Yuffie handed Tifa the bouquet and promptly began the official proceedings in an animated but dignified way.

"Do you, Tifa Lockhart, take this man, Cloud Strife, to be your husband; do you promise to be a loving and loyal wife, to cherish and keep him in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live?"

There were a few chuckles from the students below and it was with a measured glance at Cloud that Tifa replied shrewdly, "Hmm. It depends."

Cloud harrumphed at this and then Vincent moved into the scene.

"Do you, Cloud Strife, take this woman, Tifa Lockhart, to be your wife; do you promise to be a loving and loyal husband, to cherish and keep her in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live?"

Cloud also glanced sideways at Tifa and replied casually, "Yeah. Why not?"

She laughed and Vincent announced, "Then I now pronounce you; the first married couple of our class in Nibelheim!"

A loud cheer rose up from the students below and the lines fell apart as they moved together as a crowd, clapping and whistling and yelling. Soon, amidst the noise and hollers, a chant was started, "Kiss the bride! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

That wiped the smile off Tifa's face and for a second Cloud looked clueless; Yuffie and Vincent stood by, watching with interested smirks.

Then the crowd let out a delighted cry as the groom swung the bride down in a traditional kissing pose. Tifa stared up at him with round eyes and Cloud winked roguishly at her. "This is just extra service," he whispered, before covering her mouth with his free hand and bending down to press his lips against it.

Just as the crowd went shrill particularly with the girls' squeals, there was a loud BANG! that resounded around the hall. A balloon had popped. Everyone went quiet and turned around, and Cloud quickly straightened and brought Tifa back up to look at the source of the disturbance.

Aeris was standing at the back of the hall, looking up to the stage. Her expression registered nothing else but shock and dismay, and Cloud realised with a plummeting stomach that she was staring straight at him - and must have been for awhile now. Balloons surrounded her on the floor; she must have stepped backwards onto one and popped it.

"Hey, who's she?" students were asking.

"What's she doing here?"

"Does anyone know her?"

Without a word, Aeris turned on her heel and hurried out; Cloud regained feeling in his legs again and ran after her, leaving Tifa standing at the altar and the rest of the class staring after him and buzzing with questions.

"Aeris! _Aeris_!"

Just as Cloud was about to catch up with her, Aeris spun back around with something like disbelief reflecting in her eyes. Before he could say a word, she spoke.

"Is this why you told me how you felt the other day?" she demanded. "Because it was getting in the way of your wedding?"

Her hurt tone made him feel guilty and Cloud couldn't look her in the eye.

"It's not like that, Aeris," was all he could say.

Aeris looked like she didn't understand, and it was making her impatient, "Cloud, I - I know I said that was my final word. But did you really have to get _married_?"

He nodded rigidly and after a prolonged pause in which a fretful Aeris gazed at him, he asked in a feeble voice, "How - how did you know I was here?"

"I came to visit your home," she replied stiffly. "I wanted to see your parents, but I also wanted to talk to you. And then your mother said you were here... having your wedding..."

"Aeris," said Cloud, willing her to understand. "There were a lot of reasons why I had to get married. Tifa - "

"Your wife?" she said pointedly.

"Yes, her," he said, a bit agitated. "Tifa got pulled into this mess and had to get married. We... we were the only ones who could help each other."

Aeris looked at him tentatively. "Do you... love her?"

Cloud stared at the dark ground, but they were interrupted by approaching footsteps. Tifa had come outside to look for him, accompanied by Vincent and Yuffie, who chose that moment to say loudly, "Hey, bridegroom, your wedding cake's about to be cut, and we spent hours making it!"

"Huh?" Cloud took a moment to recollect himself. "Oh. Right. Um - "

"I'm sorry for crashing your party," Aeris spoke up, causing all eyes to go to her. She was looking at Tifa and gave a small smile, "Congratulations on your wedding."

"Oh... thank you," said Tifa timidly.

Aeris turned to Cloud, whose eyes were still averted to the ground.

"I'll talk to you later, Cloud. But I guess I'm not meant to contact a married man too much, right?" she joked weakly, hoping to lighten things up a little. "Well... bye."

They all watched her leave. Before she had even properly left the grounds, Yuffie called, "Cloud, hurry up! Tifa's waiting."

The blonde turned back around to look at them all and Tifa gazed at him uncertainly, wondering how he must feel. There was a vague, preoccupied look on his face and when he spoke, he spoke to her, and it was in a soft, considerate voice that made Vincent blink, faintly impressed.

"Tifa, is it okay if I skip the party? I think... I think I just need some air."

"Ooh," said Tifa. She nodded, "Yeah, of course. Go on ahead."

Cloud looked at her gratefully before ambling off into the darkness. Yuffie tutted and nudged Tifa in the ribs.

"Teef! Why'd you do that for? You should keep him a leash on him at all times or he'll go running everywhere and make you chase after him. Now go over there and drag him back inside!"

"Yeah," said Vincent gloomily. "It won't be much of a wedding party without the groom. We spent so much time making the cake as well."

Tifa looked at her best friends and their crestfallen expressions, and said buoyantly, "Hey, it's okay! We'll still have fun without him. Cloud just needs some space, so we'll give him some. Hey, hurry, hurry, I wanna have some cake." She ushered her friends back inside the hall, but still felt a little disappointed herself.

Cloud found himself back at the gardens again, after wandering distractedly around the dark streets. It seemed to be at the centre of Nibelheim, with all roads eventually leading to it. Or maybe he just felt tied to the place, having been there so many times on different occasions. He went to the wooden bridge again, not minding the chilly mountain air or the darkness or emptiness of the park. There was a still, calming serenity about the place which he liked.

He stood there, leaning on the railing and looking out beyond the water.

_"If I ask you to take me as a man, would you accept me?"_

_"Cloud, stop, please. You're making me feel uncomfortable."_

_"I don't see you that way, Cloud. You're like a brother to me. I thought you knew that."_

_"Is this why you told me how you felt the other day? Because it was getting in the way of your wedding?"_

Her words rang in his head and his breathing hitched. Slowly, Cloud reached up to the back of his neck and unclasped the chain of his pendant. He brought it down, sliding it open and staring at the photo of Aeris.

Then, face set, he scrunched the pendant in his hand and got ready to throw it as hard as he could - but something stopped him, something held his arm back, and Cloud let out a deep breath and hung his head. He couldn't throw it away, at least not yet.

Glumly, Cloud turned around, ready to set off, only to let out a strangled yelp when he saw Tifa standing there. She was pulling a face obviously intended to frighten him.

"What the - " he gasped in relief and annoyance when he realised it was her. "What are you doing here?"

A shrewd, knowing look was on her face as Tifa walked over and settled beside him against the railing of the bridge. She looked out peacefully to the water and said, "This is where I come to think. I didn't expect you to be here as well. I thought you would be back home."

"Still," he said, fixing her with a cautious look. "You shouldn't wander around on your own at night. Remember last time when I had to save you from those drunk guys? It's not safe. In fact, I forbid you to go anywhere alone at night."

Bemused, she glanced up at him, "Already worrying about your wife, are you?"

Cloud snickered, "Yeah, whatever." She smiled, glad to see him laughing, and remained quiet as she gazed back out to the dark scenery. "How was the cake?" he asked.

"Delicious," she answered promptly. "I even ate your share."

"What?" he said, scandalised. "You should have brought some back for me,"

"Pfft, you left on your own accord."

"You're terrible. A good wife knows how to take care of her husband."

"And a good husband wouldn't have left his wife alone at their wedding party."

He looked at her, his mouth half-open to say something apologetic, but Tifa forestalled him. "I'm only joking," she said earnestly. "I know you needed some time alone to think."

Cloud shut his mouth and glanced down rigidly at the pendant clutched in his hand. For that one, tiny moment spent squabbling with Tifa, he had forgotten about Aeris. Not that he wanted to use her to get over Aeris or anything terrible like that, but he realised that Tifa did help him forget about his troubles for a little while.

Then again, she also _added_ to his troubles and made life rather complicated. But she could probably say the same of him. They were each other's bad luck charms, after all.

"Do you remember first talking about our marriage on this bridge?" asked Tifa, breaking the momentary silence. She sounded subdued, reminiscent, almost. "I never thought we would actually go through with it. And here we are..."

"Yeah," Cloud said, also thinking back. "And here we are, the first married couple of our class. I guess life's like that. My granddad used to say that life was like a sonnet."

"How does he work that one out?" she asked, curious.

Cloud had to think about that for a moment. "Well..." he started. "Because a sonnet expresses thought and emotions and ideas, like our lives do. And sometimes it leaves its orderly, perfect pattern to become something different and unpredictable. But the change is good and essential, adding a... a defining tone to the overall poem. Well, sometimes the change can also be bad, I guess. Let's hope that, in this case, our change in the iambic pentameter is something good for our sonnet."

Tifa pondered upon this for a second before laughing. "I think you've been studying poetry too much in class," she chided. "But that's a pretty good analogy. Life is like a sonnet," she repeated staidly. "Hmmm. It has a nice ring to it, but something's... missing."

"Yeah, well... that's also a part of life," he finished lamely, making her snort.

For another minute they were quiet again, each left to their own thoughts, when Cloud said abruptly, "Hey." With a twinkle in his blue eyes, he reached into his pocket and pulled out two felt boxes, the kind that jewellery came in. "We forgot something."

"Rings?" squeaked Tifa when he opened the boxes and her eyes lit up at the sight of the glistening bands. One was a plain gold wedding band for the man, and the other was a delicate ring with four tiny diamonds encrusted into it.

Cloud half-smiled at her obvious awe and reverence. "Yeah, Dad gave them to me," he explained, taking out the smaller ring. "They're not new or anything; some relatives gave them to us awhile back, but Mum's still gonna kill us if we lose them. Or kill me, more like, and that's not something I want to experience..."

"But - why - ?" she asked weakly, still staring rapturously at the rings. "We're just kids - it's not a real marriage, we don't really need them..."

He shrugged, "Makes it more official, I suppose. It would have been nice to do this at the ceremony, but it's better late than never."

Tifa watched bashfully as Cloud handed her the wedding band and kept the ring in his hand; then, taking her left hand, he slid the ring on her finger. She did the same thing on his hand, and so in the almost-complete darkness of the Nibelheim gardens, standing on the wooden bridge that arched over the still, peaceful pond, Cloud and Tifa exchanged their wedding rings.

"Ah, perfect fit," he said blithely, examining his fourth finger.

"It's so pretty," she agreed, smiling and looking at her own hand. Looking up, her smile seemed to light up her face more so than usual as Tifa made a fist and held it out towards him.

"Treat me well, okay, husband?" she said, eyes alight merrily.

Cloud grinned, bumping his fist against hers. "Only if you don't nag me half to death, dear wife," he returned.

* * *

The morning came slowly, gently and easily, and Cloud was vaguely aware of the sun shining through the windows and the birds twittering songfully in the branches just outside his bedroom. His sleepy, comfortable mind came weaving in and out of half-formed dreams about his wedding, his promise to Tifa, his confrontation with Aeris... and a couple of times he thought he heard somebody call his name persistently, but Cloud ignored it, too comfortable to move...

Finally, yawning and stretching contentedly, he peered at his alarm clock - only to see that he was dreadfully late.

Diving out of his bed, Cloud burst out of his room and stared across to Tifa's bedroom, his heart racing. He bolted over and swung open her door.

Her room was empty.

Cursing, Cloud ran around the empty house, hastily yanking on his uniform, stuffing a croissant into his mouth, swinging his bag on and jumping onto his bicycle. He pedalled full-speed to the school where he found students already assembled in their morning lines. Wincing and trying to lie low, Cloud rode into the courtyard. Of course, Mr Hino spotted him at once and beckoned him over to where all the other boys were doing push-ups. To his surprise, Vincent was there as well.

"Why are you late?" Cloud muttered as he dropped onto the ground beside him.

"Slept in," replied Vincent out of the corner of his mouth. "Why are _you_ late?"

"Same thing," said Cloud through gritted teeth, looking up to stare savagely at Tifa and another boy standing up at the front, being presented something by the principal. "The dragon didn't wake me up."

Mr Hino walked over to the boys, saying sadly, "So the husband's receiving punishment while the wife's being crowned class president." He leant down to Cloud and asked in a dire whisper, "Cloud, how could you let this happen? You're giving all of us guys here a bad name, you know."

Cloud scowled, glowering up at the figure of Tifa as she bowed to the principal upon receiving her badge.

"Tifa Lockhart, you traitor," he said ominously. "How could you just leave this morning without waking me up?"

_And I thought I could drop the 'dragon' title against her..._

When it was time for class, Cloud saw the conniving brunette up ahead in the corridor, walking towards him. He glared at her as they drew closer and closer, but she merely looked back with a raised eyebrow, as if daring him to say something, which Cloud thought was incredibly obstinate of her. Determined to ignore her, he walked straight past without saying a word.

But then his annoyance got the better of him and he whirled around, bristling, "Hey!"

Tifa also turned back, and asked loftily, "What?"

_Huh, and acting so innocent too!_ he thought in disbelief.

"How could you just go to school by yourself this morning?" he demanded, and he probably sounded like a kid, but he didn't care. "Tell me something, are you really that heartless and selfish?"

Tifa scoffed, putting her hands on her hips. "Heartless and selfish enough to try and wake you up five times this morning!" she replied scornfully. " 'Cloud, Cloud, get up.' 'Cloud, we're going be late.' 'Cloud you fat, lazy pig, if you don't wake up now I'm leaving without you.' "

She smiled vengefully as he gaped at her, trying to speak but only succeeding in looking like a goldfish.

"But you just kept snoring like this - " She started imitating some truly awful snorts and snores, and Cloud looked even more irate and embarrassed.

"You - you - " he spluttered.

"Me what?" she responded infuriatingly.

They stared at each other challengingly for a second. Then -

"Ugh!" he growled.

"Huh!" she scoffed back.

They spun away from one another at the same time and stalked off, like two disagreeable kids caught up in a playground argument.

* * *

A/N: Some things just don't change, do they? Hehe. The song that's sung at their wedding is _This I Swear_ by Nick Lachey; I was really reluctant to use it because I just don't like putting songs into stories, but the lyrics are really sweet and fitting. You can listen to it on YouTube and you can also see the Korean drama version of the wedding ceremony (search _Choon-Hyang school ceremony)_ just to get the feel for it!

And yes, I encourage all of you to watch the drama! It's -_two thumbs up_- xD

Now I await your glorious feedback! Let's try to reach fifty reviews, okay team? :D Pretty please? As an early Christmas pressie?

OOH, and one more thing! _Tell me which FFVII character you would like to see the most appearing in this fic. _I'm not sure how I'll write the other characters in or if some will appear at all, but you can all shoot me with recommendations. :) That is all! You are all awesome! - msq.


	7. The More You Forget

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII and the Korean drama _Sassy Girl Choon-Hyang_. ;)

_As an opening quote..._

"The more you study, the more you know. The more you know, the more you forget. The more you forget, the less you know. So why study?"

**Golden Sonnet**

**Chapter Seven**

**

* * *

**

Washing the dishes was nothing new to either of them. Tifa had always done the washing at home and Cloud had been forced many a time to help his mother clean up after meals.

So there the pair stood at the sink, Tifa cleaning the plates and cutlery with hot, soapy water and Cloud rinsing whatever she passed over. They did this silently and side-by-side, still being cool to each other after this morning's bicker. Dinner that night had been a quiet affair, much to the confusion of poor Mrs Strife. Mr Strife had also been unusually quiet as he sat at the head of the table.

"Hey, wash this again, it's still greasy," Cloud broke the stiff silence in a grudging tone, passing back a plate.

Tifa said haughtily, "Wash it yourself."

He narrowed her eyes as she continued her washing. "You unreasonable girl," he scoffed. "How can I wash oil off with just water?" Cloud made to drop the plate back into her sink, but she blocked his hand. They stared one another down and had a fierce but entirely silent struggle with the plate, until an extra hard shove from Tifa caused it to fall back into his sink with a clatter. Shooting him a look of furious triumph, she went back to her washing as if nothing had happened.

An outraged Cloud glared at her. Then, seizing her gloved hand, he forced the plate into it, "If you don't wash the grease off this plate - "

"Wha - hey, let go of me!" she exclaimed, trying to shake him off.

"Not until you wash this!"

"Over my dead body - "

For a few seconds they struggled, then Tifa, inspired, swung her free hand out of the soapy water and clamped it over his face. Cloud released her with a yelp, his face now covered in soap suds.

"Serves you right!" she said, ruffled.

"Cloud? Tifa?" Mrs Strife was calling them, her footsteps approaching the kitchen.

Both looked up in alarm; Tifa grabbed a towel and threw it back to Cloud, who caught it and began furiously wiping his face. He straightened up just as his mother peered into the kitchen.

"Dad's in the living room. He wants a word with you two," said Mrs Strife. She looked and sounded a bit worried as she went back out.

"What do you think he wants to talk about?" whispered Tifa as she took off her gloves and Cloud wiped the last of the suds off his face.

"Maybe he's returned to his senses and wants us to get a divorce," he said, tossing the towel aside.

She made a face, "Let's not get our hopes up."

Together they ventured into the living room, where Mr Strife sat in a preoccupied state much like he had during dinner. His wife sat on the sofa and Cloud and Tifa joined her, so that the three of them were facing him across the coffee table. Then, seeming to come out of his meditative state, Mr Strife cleared his throat and took out some sheets of paper. He set them on the table. The three of them peered uncertainly at them.

"Father-in-law?" questioned Tifa tentatively.

"I went to see Mr Hino today," said Mr Strife in a deep, foreboding voice. "He printed this list off for me. Your school ranks, just your grade. Two hundred students in total." They all held their breath, awaiting the bombshell. Mr Strife picked up the list, shuffling through them although it was plain he had read through them many times. "Tifa," he began casually. "Is ranked number one." His eyes gave a tiny glint as he shuffled to the last page.

"Cloud is ranked one hundred-and-ninety one."

Cloud gulped; Tifa blinked as though she didn't know anyone could be ranked so low.

Mr Strife lowered the sheets, fixing the children with a beady stare. "The difference between them is too large. Cloud must be within one hundred ranks by the next exam."

"_What_?" Mrs Strife, Cloud and Tifa all gasped in unison.

"Honey, just think about it," implored Mrs Strife, looking troubled. "How can _anyone_ rise in ranks like that so quickly?"

"Then should we lower Tifa?" growled Mr Strife. "I'm not kidding. Cloud, son, make sure you work hard. Number one hundred is the lowest I'm expecting of you." He gave his son a little, fierce nod, and Cloud said meekly, "Yes, Dad."

Both his mother and Tifa lapsed into little, despairing sighs.

"This is extreme," said Tifa, in a slightly bewildered tone later on as they climbed the stairs to their bedrooms. "I had no idea you were _that_ stupid."

Cloud glowered at her. "Don't gloat, Lockhart. You tell me how I'm meant to concentrate on studying when girls are landing on me, breaking my phone and forcing me to marry them. Nibelheim's been a nightmare."

"Ha, don't complain," she said dismissively. "Mr Hino said your grades were bad back in Midgar as well, right? Tell me, what _do_ you do at school?"

"Ha," he said, imitating her. He clenched his teeth, "Never you mind, _Ms Lockhart._"

"Oh, shut up," she said irritably. "You said you were gonna start studying properly that day at the bridge, so why don't you take the opportunity now?"

"Yeah," whined Cloud. "But to achieve something _attainable_. I can't jump that many ranks! Dad's going crazy, I mean he always has been a little, but now he's just confirming it to the whole family..."

Tifa looked like she was in troubled thought. Finally, she said yieldingly, "I guess I can help you with your studies if you need it. You'd have to call me _sensei_ though." She stuck her tongue out at his outraged expression and went inside her room.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" he yelled bad-temperedly at her closed door. He went inside his room and slammed the door, and made a beeline for his desk. Cloud threw himself into his chair and glared at his books.

_Alright, books. You don't like me and I don't like you, but we have to show that dragon some face._

Making up his mind courageously, Cloud picked up some of his textbooks, a book to write in and a pen, and marched out of his room into Tifa's. The dark-haired girl looked up from where she was already writing on the floor, working on a low desk. Her reading glasses were perched across her nose.

"What?" she said, perplexed.

"You said you would help me," Cloud said stiffly, using his foot to kick the door shut behind him. "So I'm here." He stared at her on the floor for a second, then said, "You keep working there, _sensei_. I'll sit at your desk." He dropped his books onto her tidy table, sat himself in her chair and leant back. Then, clearing his throat prominently, Cloud opened up a textbook and started reading as if his entire soul was absorbed in it.

_Oh, how... cute,_ thought Tifa in amusement, before resuming her writing.

For ten minutes there was harmony. Then Cloud started the simple but annoying act of clicking his pen, and Tifa's concentration began to break. She bit her lip in irritation, trying to block out the sound but unable to stop herself glancing up at him every now and again.

"Hey, can you stop that?" she finally asked.

He looked at her, perplexed. "Oh, you mean this?" he clicked his pen a few more times and a grin unfurled across his face when she cringed. "Ah, it's a habit of mine, I'm sorry to say. A habit is a scary thing, isn't it? By the way..." he wheeled his chair over to her, much to her apprehension, "...what's an oligodendrocyte?"

"A what?" a nonplussed Tifa asked.

"An oligodendrocyte," repeated Cloud, cocking his head to the side.

"I... I don't know," she said slowly, still trying to work out how many syllables were in the word.

He feigned shock, "You don't know? I guess even geniuses have their limits, Miss Ranked Number One. Never mind then, _sensei,_ I'll look it up myself." With a haughty expression, Cloud picked up his dictionary and started flicking through it.

Tifa stared at him demurely, gave him up and went back to her work.

A moment later, Cloud read out, " 'An oligodendrocyte is a type of cell in the central nervous system. The oligodendrocytes surround and insulate the long fibers, known as axons, through which the nerves send their electrical messages. The term, "oligodendrocyte" comes from the fact that through a microscope the cell's projections look like the sparse branches of a tree.' " He glanced over at her, "Got that memorised?"

An irritated Tifa repressed an annoyed retort. "Why should I?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow, "Well, you don't _have_ to, but whoever heard of a pupil outstripping their tutor? Oh, well." He shrugged airily and turned away again. "That's one thing I know that you don't." Tifa frowned at his back and mimed jabbing him with her pen.

This continued for another hour; Tifa constantly being interrupted by questions from Cloud as he came across something new in his reading. And every time Tifa couldn't answer something (which was almost every instance, since he picked the most obscure things to ask), he would look it up himself and emerge with a superior, all-knowing expression on his face. Tifa was sorely tempted to throw something at him by the end of the hour.

"Ah, that's another thing you don't know," he remarked happily, jotting it down in his book. "That puts me another one ahead of you in the next exams. You better watch out."

Tifa rolled her eyes and leant forward sceptically, "Hey, Cloud Strife, you don't really think you can rise that many ranks in one go, do you?"

"What?" he said obstinately. "What if I prove to you that I can?"

She looked away ponderously for a moment, then said, "Okay, let's have a bet then."

His eyes lit up, "A bet? Bring it on." Cloud stacked up his books in bravado and stood up, looking at her resolutely. "I'll be leaving now," he announced. "To go to my room."

"Oh, to sleep?" said Tifa angelically.

"No," he said scornfully. "Don't you worry, _sensei_, I'll be studying till kingdom come." With that, the blonde marched out of her bedroom and shut the door behind him. She let out a snort of laughter after he had left.

"I wonder if he even knows what that means," she said, writing the next line of her essay.

Later on in the night, Mr Strife went upstairs to check on the children. He peeked into Tifa's room first, opening the door a slither and looking in. He smiled when he saw the girl, still sitting on the floor and reading diligently at the low desk. Closing the door as quietly as he could, Mr Strife crossed the upstairs living room to his son's bedroom. He peered inside the crack between the door and the frame, but the sight made him open the door wide and walk in.

Cloud was lying on his stomach in his bed, one hand outstretched to a book lying open on his pillow. He had fallen asleep. Mr Strife sighed inwardly, but his gaze was soft as he went over and gently retrieved the book. Then he picked up the blankets and covered his son with them, turning the light off as he went back out.

* * *

After breakfast the next morning, Tifa wheeled out her bike, sat herself on it and was all ready to start pedalling to school when somebody jumped on behind her. "Whoa!" she said, steadying herself and turning her head. Cloud grinned back at her cheekily. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Ahh, well, my bike has a flat tire," he replied innocently, putting his hands on either side of her waist for support. "And my legs kinda hurt and I didn't eat breakfast like you did 'cos I just woke up, so I have no energy to walk..."

Tifa blew some loose strands of hair out of her eyes. "And whose fault is that?" she shot at him.

"Aww, c'mon, Tifa..." Cloud whined, pulling a pouty face.

Shaking her head in frustration, Tifa gripped hard onto the handle bars as she began pedalling with difficulty. Cloud held onto her with a gleeful expression as they picked up speed.

"Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, Ti-fa," he sang mirthfully as she grit her teeth. "Giddy up, giddy up, go, go, go!"

"Do you have any idea how heavy you are?" she cried, struggling to pedal.

"Come on, Tifa Lockhart, who has strength like a dragon, pedal faster, pedal faster," Cloud continued to sing as the wind rushed through his hair. He dropped his sing-song voice and began to taunt her, "C'mon weakling, where'd all that energy from breakfast go? You ate so much and yet you're so weak..."

Tifa would have retaliated, but it was taking too much effort to pedal already. So off the two went, Cloud still singing happily as he sat on the back of the bike. Other students walking or riding along the way glanced at them oddly as they rode past.

At last, the gruelling bike ride (for Tifa, at least) came to an end and Cloud flashed his pearly whites at her as he hopped off.

"Thank you, Teef," he said angelically, giving a little mock-bow.

A disgruntled Tifa looked up at him, but a smirk surfaced as she replied, "No problem. I'm feeling sorry for you and your future failure in the next exams. Otherwise I would have left you at home."

Cloud's mouth twitched, "We'll see about that. Remember our bet?"

"Of course," she said sweetly. "The exams are in two weeks. Good luck."

He watched her go, then his smile twisted into a grim look and Cloud made a beeline for his classroom. He catapulted himself on Vincent as soon as he saw the boy.

"Vincent!" he said urgently, making him jump. "Who's the smartest person in the school?"

Vincent lowered his comic and raised an eyebrow. "Your wife," he answered.

Cloud tutted, "Apart from her!" He was starting to get sick of hearing how intelligent his wife was. "Vince, you gotta help me round up the smartest kids for each of the subjects I do."

"Uh," said Vincent bluntly. "Any reason why?"

"It's a worthy cause, I can assure you," said Cloud dismissively. "Now let's get cracking."

During break time the two boys successfully located the top students for all the subjects Cloud did, apart from Tifa of course. The kids sort of _looked_ like top students, with their awkward countenances and old-fashioned glasses. Cloud looked at them in a mixture of pity and surprise that such stereotypes could still exist. All six of them were lined up against the brick wall of the school, looking like fresh victims for wall ball.

Cloud paced in front of them like a tyrannical dictator.

"I've asked you all to come here today because I need your expertise," he said meditatively. He stopped in front of them and they seemed afraid to look him in the eye. _Am I that intimidating?_ he wondered briefly.

"I need to do well in the next exams," Cloud said grandly. "And you can all help me."

During this, Mr Hino walked by and doubled back to peer at the strange scene again. A quizzical expression crossed his face.

Cloud was full of fresh determination and vigor when school finished that day. As soon as he was back in his room, he took a red marker and circled the day of their exams, realising as he did so that Aeris' birthday was just two days before. For a second he lost his train of thought - then shaking his head, Cloud put away the marker and piled all his books in front of him.

"You just watch, Tifa," he vowed ominously. "I'll show you a miracle." He clicked his pen and set to work.

And so Cloud's new regime had begun. Over the next fortnight, it was obvious that Cloud could do anything if he put his mind to it - and alarmingly so. Tifa noticed changes in his behaviour and attitude; he was quieter, more resolute and preoccupied. There were hardly anymore wisecracks from him and when he came into her room, it was to genuinely seek help. Mrs Strife was astounded but delighted to see her son coming home from school one afternoon with his nose buried in a book. One morning she ran into the kitchen to find her husband; Tifa was getting ready to leave at the door.

"Honey - Cloud left at the crack of dawn this morning to go to school and study! Isn't that - _wonderful_?" she cried.

Mr Strife regarded this news very coolly, rustling the paper. "It's about time," he said shortly, but when Mrs Strife looked away still in bliss, he glanced round and grinned at Tifa. She grinned back.

School was no different. It was common practice for Tifa to come up to their lunch table and find only Vincent and Yuffie there, because Cloud was at the library. Vincent admitted that Cloud's behaviour was starting to scare him; Yuffie remarked that Cloud was becoming a "nancy-boy."

But Tifa was proud and couldn't help grinning when she peeked into Cloud's bedroom one afternoon and found him at his desk, his books and notes sprawled out in front of him. She looked around and saw that he had covered part of the wall with coloured notes, and that he was crossing off the days on his calender.

Smiling, Tifa quietly shut the door and went back to her own room. She sat at her usual studying spot on the floor, happily thinking about Cloud's hard work and how proud his parents were.

"I guess he deserves a reward," she said impishly. Abandoning her studies for awhile, Tifa went to her shelf to take down a small work basket. It was full of boxes of beads and little accessories. She picked up some purple thread and started beading.

As the time until exam day grew shorter and shorter, students started growing restless and anxious. Finally, only two days were left before the gruelling day, and even Cloud found his concentration wavering. He had honestly never worked as hard as he had done in the past week and a half. It was a good feeling, he had to admit, to have something to work hard towards.

Cloud clicked his pen aimlessly, staring at the book in front of them. He stood up to stretch and caught sight of the calendar; today was Aeris' birthday. It had been at the back of his mind the entire day, but somehow he hadn't given much thought to it. He had a moment's indecision, then with a small smile, he picked up his phone and opened up a new text message.

_Happy birthday, Aeris._

Just as it was sent, there was a short knock on his door and Cloud put down his phone as Tifa entered, carrying a large plate of fruit. Mrs Strife always sent up food to the kids to ensure maximum energy and strength when they were studying.

"Dessert," she said blithely, kicking his door shut and putting the plate on his desk. She sat himself in his chair and started eating. Cloud reached out eagerly for some pineapple, but she frowned and knocked his hand aside.

"You should wash your hands," she scolded.

Cloud made a face, "C'mon, I've only been touching books and pens..."

"No buts," said Tifa in a 'no-nonsense' tone. She pointed at the door, "Wash your hands."

For a moment he just stared at her; then he went to the door ill-temperedly, ranting, "Of all the girls I had to marry..." Tifa sniggered as he slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Aeris Gainsborough was the type of sweet, frank and cheerful girl everyone adored. She had grown up as an only child in a loving, wealthy family, surrounded by people who doted upon her. Every birthday had been a shining moment in her life, and when Aeris woke up today to a bright, sunny morning, there seemed to be no doubt that this year would be the same.

After a day at work, being wished happy birthday countless times from colleagues and being sent flowers, chocolates and presents from friends and family back at Midgar, Aeris was already glowing with happiness. Her perfect day would finish by spending a night out with her boyfriend, Rick.

"Happy birthday, Aer," he said with a usual, charming smile, standing up when she reached their table. He handed her a bunch of roses which she accepted happily.

"Thank you," she said, taking her seat and smiling at Rick when he pushed it in for her. Her green eyes fell upon the cake already on the table, lit up with several candles. "Wow, the cake's so pretty!" she exclaimed, beaming. "Did you choose it?"

Rick looked at the cake with a quick, careless glance. "Nah," he said. "When the restaurant heard this was a birthday dinner they just sent out a cake. Listen, Aer," he leant forward seriously. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Aeris' smile faded a little; something wasn't going right in this dinner.

Rick said, not at all abashed or ashamed, "I think it's time to break up."

Her heart felt like it had stopped beating, but it was in a remarkably steady voice that she asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well," Rick leant back casually in his seat, taking a sip of champagne. "We did say we'd only date for fun, remember? It's already been a few months, Aeris. It's time for us to get sick of each other and have fun with other people." During this dialogue, her fists had clenched tighter and tighter in her lap. Rick looked at her somberly, "I hope you're not offended, Aer. You're a really sweet girl and all, but a _real_ relationship isn't something I'm looking for right now. I mean, we're all still young. Might as well enjoy it, right?"

Aeris bit hard on tongue, trying to suppress the wave of emotion washing over her. The shock could be dealt with later; for now, her anger surfaced.

"This is really a one-of-a-kind present," she said evenly.

Rick chuckled, "I guess so. But anyway, let's just put that aside for now and enjoy dinner - "

Aeris stood up, picked up her glass and threw the contents of it at him. He spluttered as champagne dripped down his face. Glaring, Aeris said venomously, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can eat dinner with you tonight. I hope you're not offended, _Rick_." She threw the roses on the table, picked up her jacket and walked off.

Once she was back inside her car, though, Aeris put her head in her hands and sobbed. All her other emotions apart from anger came pouring out - shock, betrayal, disappointment, hurt. All that time and emotion invested into a relationship - and now it was all over, now she had found out it had meant nothing to him.

Aeris didn't know how long she stayed in her car, just sitting there pathetically. Her face was tear-stained and there was a dull ache in her heart now, something that crying and sobbing would not fix.

Her phone chimed and she picked it up without any real conviction.

_Happy birthday, Aeris._

Aeris read and re-read the short message, not knowing why she felt a bit comforted nor why a smile crept to her face as she did so. Cloud had always remembered her birthday. She'd been half-afraid that he had forgotten this year, but his message had gotten to her in time.

"You're a good friend, Cloud," she said softly.

Then, on impulse, in a wish to hear a friendly voice again, she dialled his number.

Tifa had started on a third piece of rockmelon when the sound of Cloud's ringtone filled the room. She picked his phone up, watching warily as the name _Aeris_ lit up the screen. She picked up and was about to say something when Aeris spoke first.

"Hey, it's me..."

She hesitated for a moment. "I'm sorry, but Cloud's in the washroom at the moment," said Tifa uncertainly. "Would you like me to leave a message for him? Or you could wait, he'll be back in a second - "

Aeris' eyes widened as she recognised Tifa's voice, and something wrenched at her heart at exactly the same moment. "Oh, n - no. It's okay," she stammered. "I'll just call him back later." She hung up quickly, still shocked at having heard Tifa's voice instead of Cloud's. And then she realised, more powerfully than any other time, that they were married.

Her thoughts went to Rick's words again. _"...but a real relationship isn't something I'm looking for right now. I mean, we're all still young. Might as well enjoy it, right?"_

How ironic that he had said that, when Cloud and Tifa, both still two kids in high school, were already married.

Tifa looked forlornly at his phone after Aeris had hung up, trying to figure out what had happened. She put it back down and Cloud walked in, still looking sulky that she had told him off earlier. For a moment, they just looked at each other.

"Cloud..." she said tentatively.

"What?" he frowned.

For an answer, Tifa jumped up, crossed the room and took his arm, steering him back to the desk. "Quick, eat up, eat up," she ushered, pulling him back into his chair and pushing the plate of fruit in front of him. Cloud glanced at her uncertainly as he took a piece. "Eat a lot of fruit and study hard, okay?" she said, sounding almost like a mother imploring a child. "The exams are real soon. Keep working hard and you'll be fine."

Cloud looked at her suspiciously, his mouth full of pineapple. "Why are you being so nice?" he asked, voice muffled. "You're scaring me."

She chuckled lightly; it was just like him to be wary of any type of kindness from her. "I'm just looking out for you," she told him. "Just eat up, alright? Be happy and healthy." Tifa watched him eat the fruit with a soft look in her eyes, something like endearment and affection. She decided not to tell him about the phone call. Cloud didn't need Aeris hanging over him when he needed to concentrate on his studies. But Tifa wasn't so sure if she was doing the right thing, nor if exams was the real reason why she was withholding this information from him...

The next day passed by alarmingly quickly, so that in no time at all students found themselves sitting for their mid-term exams, their last ones before the big, final examinations that took place at the end of the year. Everyone seemed to be in a zombie-like trance for the two days their tests went, not able to function properly or say anything that wasn't restating a fact or figure they had to memorise.

At last, they were over, and everyone had their own ways of expressing their relief. Yuffie went straight to the ice cream parlour and dragged everyone else with her, although all Tifa wanted to do was crawl into her bed and sleep, and all Cloud and Vincent wanted to have was a good game of basketball to shake off everything that had weighed them down for the past few weeks.

In just a day the rank lists were posted up on the notice board. Students crowded around to search desperately for their names; there were excited cries and disappointed sighs among the throng. Tifa tried to peer above everyone's heads to have a look.

Her name was at the very top, but her eyes travelled past it. Further and further down the list they went, passing Vincent's name (_33. Vincent Valentine_) and Yuffie's (_51. Yuffie Kisaragi_) until they stopped at a particular point. A gleeful grin lit up her face.

_86. Cloud Strife._

Tifa walked away happily, putting her hands in her pockets. _Alright, Cloud, I'll admit you're smart_, she thought musingly, but was brought out of her pleasant thoughts when Yuffie appeared in front of her, looking distressed.

"Yuff - what's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Tifa - it's Cloud," said Yuffie with a frown, taking her friend's arm urgently. "I think he's in trouble. Mr Hino just came by and dragged him off to his office - something about cheating in the exams - "

Tifa didn't have to hear anymore; she rushed to the teachers' office and turned up gasping at the doorway. She immediately saw Cloud at Mr Hino's desk, the scene just like it had been on his first day at school after riding a motorbike. Only this time, Mr Hino didn't look so forgiving.

"Then tell me how you did it," the teacher was saying in disbelief. "If you didn't cheat, how is it possible that you could jump so many ranks?"

Cloud stared forlornly at him, "Has it ever occurred to you that I might have put in the effort?"

Mr Hino opened his mouth to retort, but Tifa jumped into the scene.

"Mr Hino, this is ridiculous," she said firmly. "Cloud wouldn't cheat. It's possible to raise your rank like that if you were near the bottom and you put in a lot of hard work. Besides, how can you accuse him of cheating if you haven't got any evidence?"

"But I do," said Mr Hino simply. "The other day, I saw it with my own eyes - all the smart kids lined up against the wall and you, boy, threatening them if they didn't help you cheat. Am I right?"

Cloud shook his head indignantly. "That's not true!" he exclaimed. "I was just asking for their notes. You can go ask them!"

Mr Hino scoffed, "Like they're really going to tell me the truth after how you dealt with them."

Tifa had listened to this exchange with a sickening, twisted feeling in her stomach. She hadn't heard about this before. Turning to Cloud, she said, "Is this - is this true? Is that how you did so well? Because you cheated?"

Cloud made an involuntary movement; apparently her disbelief was the last straw for him.

"Yeah, fine, whatever, I cheated. I cheated!" he spat vehemently, and then he stormed off, knocking into her shoulder as he passed.

Tifa looked after him, biting her lip in a worried fashion as Mr Hino muttered, "His father was right, quite an ill-tempered boy at times that one..."

Still not knowing what to think, but feeling a pang of remorse, Tifa hurried outside. She saw Cloud walking up ahead, no doubt heading out of school to skip class.

"Cloud!" she called, running to the stairs. "Hey - Cloud!"

The blonde stopped and turned around slightly. His expression was inscrutable. She also stopped, staying where she was at the top of the steps with an apprehensive look.

"I guess I lost the bet since I cheated," he said in a low, stoic voice. Then he shot at her, "But I think _you_ should be the one doing it."

He walked off and left Tifa behind, grievously disturbed in mind.

Tifa couldn't concentrate in her next class; she was too preoccupied thinking about Cloud and Mr Hino's accusation against him. And as her history teacher droned in the background, she remembered Cloud coming into her room that night and asking for help in maths. She thought about his parents and the marked change in his behaviour over the past weeks, and the many times she had peeked into his bedroom to find the walls covered in handwritten notes and Cloud himself at the desk.

By lunch time, Tifa had made up her mind and had even formulated a plan. She ran out of class to the cafeteria, launching herself onto the table where Vincent and Yuffie were already sitting.

"Hey, there you are," said Vincent, vaguely handing her a sheaf of papers. "I picked up Cloud's tests for him. Where is he?"

Tifa took the test papers and looked even more inspired. "Yuff, Vince," she said breathlessly. "I need your help."

Yuffie and Vincent glanced at each other.

"For what?" Vincent finally asked, a note of apprehension in his voice.

"To clear Cloud's name with Mr Hino and prove his innocence," Tifa replied, a determined spark in her eye. "Vince, I'm gonna need your drawing ability. And Yuff..." she smiled sheepishly, "I'll need your 'sleuthing' ability."

Yuffie saluted, "Yes ma'am!"

By the end of the day, Tifa's plan had been put into motion. The brunette stood importantly in the teachers' office, a pointer in her hand and an easel they had borrowed from the art department behind her. Mr Hino sat as usual at his desk, his arms crossed perplexedly. Yuffie, Vincent and some other curious students stood excitedly in the doorway. Even the teachers had come around to look.

"So you're going to prove to me Cloud's innocence, hey?" Mr Hino asked, sounding amused. His eyes sparkled as he said genially, "You're proving to be an even more faithful wife than I expected, Tifa. Alright, then, fire away."

Tifa cleared her throat. "Thank you, sir," she said politely. "Today I will prove to you why Cloud could not cheat in the exams by presenting three reasons. Firstly, the seating arrangement." She tapped the pointer on the picture set up on the easel; Vincent had drawn up an aerial view of Cloud's classroom after Yuffie and Tifa had done some sleuthing to figure it out.

"As you can see, Cloud was surrounded on all four sides by four other boys whose rank are all lower than his."

"Oooh," said the crowd of students impressively.

Mr Hino nodded slightly, "Go on."

"Secondly," continued Tifa prominently, turning to the next page on the easel where Vincent had drawn six chibi figures (Yuffie kept exclaiming how cute they were), each one of them labelled with a name. "Mr Hino, your basis for accusing Cloud of cheating was because you saw him talking to the top students of six subjects. However, these three - " she dragged the pointer across the first three figures, " - were not even in the same exam room as Cloud on the day in question."

"Nice, Tifa," said Yuffie under her breath, grinning as Mr Hino blinked, taken-aback.

"Two of them were sitting too far away from Cloud," said Tifa, flipping back to the first page and pointing out where the boys sat. "And the last boy was the closest, two seats in front of him. So unless the boys were passing around a sheet of paper - and sir, you know how strictly our teachers monitor us during our exams - there is no possible way Cloud could have cheated off them."

Teachers were nodding appreciatively, murmuring to each other. Mr Hino looked rather impressed.

"But this is the most convincing piece of evidence..." Tifa said with the air of dropping a bombshell. She flicked to the last page, which was really a larger version of a solution Vincent had copied off one of Cloud's test papers.

"That Cloud solved a maths problem that everybody else in his classroom either skipped or could not finish."

Smiling triumphantly at the stunned look on Mr Hino's face, Tifa said, "And now for my own testimony. I live in the same house as Cloud and I can honestly assure you that he worked hard for these tests. Now, Mr Hino, can you be so certain that Cloud cheated? The verdict lies in your hands."

For a tense couple of seconds there was silence. Mr Hino seemed to be staring hard at Vincent's drawings. Then his face broke into a smile and he said yieldingly, "Well, now, when you put it that way... Alright then. I can see now that Mr Strife was not guilty."

"Yes!" cried Yuffie and Vincent, high-fiving each other. Students started cheering in the doorway and teachers smiled, nodding vigorously and clapping. Tifa beamed and bowed.

"I must say that boy amazes me, then..." muttered Mr Hino, sounding dazed. "To have risen in the ranks like that..."

Tifa felt her heart swell with pride, but she said simply, "Cloud's a smart boy."

* * *

The day had ended on a positive note, and, rapt and radiant, Tifa left school after the last bell with the intention of finding Cloud first. She found him, of course, at the gardens, strangely enough at the same area where they had first met - or, in other words, where he had been standing when she fell on top of him that fateful day.

She smiled to herself as she crept closer to him. Then, stepping right beside him and looking up toward the sky where his gaze was fixed, she greeted, "Hey."

Cloud threw her a sideways look. "What are you doing here?" he asked, slightly taciturn. "If you were feeling sorry for me and thought I might be lonely, you were wrong. You can leave now."

Tifa pretended to be wounded. "Hmph, I see how it is," she said. Her eyes twinkled, though, and she asked lightly, "What if I told you I cleared your name?"

Cloud gave his full attention to her now, frowning. "What?" he said, his brow furrowed. "You... cleared my name? How could you do that?"

She smiled mysteriously, "Ahhh, just leave it to me and my ways. Yuffie and Vincent helped a lot, too." When Cloud glanced away, chuckling in disbelief but also what she recognised as gratitude, Tifa said in a more serious voice, "I'm sorry for doubting your word before. Can I buy your forgiveness?"

He blinked at the purple, dangly, beaded accessory she pulled out, holding it in front of his eyes.

"What is this?" he asked with a half-smile, taking it in his hands and examining it. It was delicately and beautifully twisted, made of thick purple thread and an assortment of beads.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" said Tifa with an appreciative smile. "It's something I made and was going to give you when your grades rose. You know, you really impressed me back there. I didn't think you would be able to do it. Over a hundred ranks... Father and Mother are going to be happy."

Cloud's expression was a vague smirk, but inside he felt warmer and a lot better than he had before Tifa arrived. Ever since Mr Hino had accused him of cheating, he'd been contemplating about giving it all up. He had tried, and when he tried it amounted to nothing... was it even worth it? But now that that episode was over, the joy and contentment of doing well had returned again.

"Hey, that's right..." Cloud said suddenly, sounding and looking much more like his usual self. A fiendishly gleeful look rose on his face. "We had a bet going on, didn't we?" He cackled as she groaned. "And I believe you lost, _sensei_."

As newly reconciled as they were, she couldn't help glaring at him.

* * *

It took a long time for them to come home and wait until Mrs Strife had stopped gushing over Cloud as soon as she heard his rank; she was simply ecstatic. Even Mr Strife nodded and beamed in approval, patting Cloud on the shoulder and saying he had done very well. Tifa hovered on the threshold, still wearing her school bag and trying not to think of her impending doom.

"Ah, Mum, Dad," said Cloud pleasantly, finally prying his mother off him and depositing her on the sofa. "Tifa has something to say to you both." He glanced round at Tifa, who bit her lip and came forward as though her legs were made of iron.

"Yes, dear, what is it?" smiled Mrs Strife as her husband sat down beside her in pleasant expectation.

Tifa glanced at Cloud in great trepidation, but he nodded his head curtly. She took a deep breath, tried to smile and began to sing.

"I'm a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle... here is my spout." With a very pained expression, she put one hand on her hip and extended her other arm. Cloud was trying not to laugh with great difficulty. Both Mr and Mrs Strife had lost their smiles and were gazing at their daughter-in-law in bewilderment.

"When I get all steamed up, then I shout! Tip me over, pour me out..." Tifa mimed the action, all the while wishing very much the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

Cloud let out a snort, collapsing into a fit of laughter he could no longer repress. She glared at him, her face burning, but looked in surprise when Mr and Mrs Strife also started to chuckle and clap appreciatively.

"Well, I don't know where that came from, dear girl, but it was certainly most illuminating..."

"Oooh..." said Tifa, embarrassed but trying to smile. The sight of Cloud, doubled over in silent laughter, made her burn up even more. "I have... er... more songs to sing."

They looked at her in quizzical interest. Cloud calmed down enough to watch her with a grin. He sent her a fleeting thumbs-up and she cringed.

"Hey diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon..."

* * *

A/N: ...the little dog laughed to see such fun, and the dish ran away with the spoon_!_**!**Whoo, long chapter much? Haha. GUESS WHAT? I've become the billionth girl to go googly-eyed at Edward Cullen. Hehe, I watched _Twilight_ today and it was a lot better than I anticipated - I had very low expectations because of all the hype about both the book and the movie. But GOODNESS ME! I understand what the hype's all about now. ;) Ahaha. Aww, we didn't reach our target of fifty reviews! :( That's okay! We'll shoot again. :) Please review and... MERRY CHRISTMAS! If I don't update before. xD - msq.

_Random Facts:_ The chapter is almost 7000 words long! And my spell check doesn't reckon **oligodendrocyte** is a real word. Ha, but it is! 'Cos I looked it up on Google.


	8. Animated Existence

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII and the Korean drama _Sassy Girl Choon-Hyang_. ;)

**Golden Sonnet**

**Chapter Eight**

**

* * *

**

"I don't wanna be here."

"Oh, shut up, you," said Yuffie impatiently, turning around for a moment to look at the whining Cloud. "No one told you to come."

Cloud had nothing to say to that, so he looked away. Walking beside him was Vincent, who reasoned, "It's not that bad. The gardens are... nice. And I suppose it'll be interesting to see all this movie business."

"I've been here enough to last me a life time," muttered Cloud, casting a dark look around him. Those were just words, really, as he actually did like the place. The Nibelheim gardens this weekend had changed drastically; colourful banners were hung up on poles, all bearing the words and logo of _Shinra Productions_. All sorts of people belonging to the cast or film crew were wandering around busily. Vans had been driven into the grounds, parked on the side to unload cameras, computers and other heavy technical equipment.

This new movie had caused quite a stir in quiet Nibelheim, bringing an excited crowd to come watch the activity. Yuffie brought her new camera along, wanting to get some shots of the gardens when it was looking its best. She wanted to be a photographer when she left school and was steadily putting together a portfolio.

"Wow, it's so busy around here," said Tifa dubiously as they walked past a woman wheeling a large rack of costumes. "I think I'll be glad when all this is over and we can get our nice, peaceful garden back."

"Ooh, how can you say that?" moaned Yuffie, her arm linked with Tifa's. "This is so exciting! To think that we'll see _our_ garden in a new movie. Whoa, look at that shot!" She made a frame with her fingers, squinting through them. "I _have_ to get that - c'mon, Vinnie!" The excited girl reached back and pulled Vincent along with her. Tifa grinned; Yuffie was forever dragging Vincent around to look at new and perfect shots, since as an artist he had an eye for these things.

"And then there were two," said Cloud idly. He walked up beside her and frowned, "Do they really have to do this here? I mean, this can't be the only oriental garden in the world."

"Mmm, well, it _is_ kind of cool," Tifa mused as they kept walking along, looking at some of the cast get their make-up done. "Especially if we get shot into a scene." She paused mid-step and waved at a camera in the distance. "Hey," she said enthusiastically. "Let's ask to be extras."

Cloud snorted, amused by her antics. "Yeah, right," he said. "They'd never hire you."

"Why not?" she asked curiously, ceasing her waving.

He paused, not knowing what to say. The real reason why he had said it so absently was because he knew Tifa had a sweet, pretty face that drew many people's attention - and he knew enough about the movie business to understand that directors didn't cast extras or minor roles that would outshine the leads.

But he wasn't to go tell her any of that, so Cloud said simply, "Because you're a klutz. You'd trip and stumble over everything, falling into ponds and landing on your co-star."

"Ugh, you're terrible," she muttered, but her eyes shone when she saw the open costume van just ahead. "Ooh, let's take a look at some of their stuff."

"Let's not," groaned Cloud as he followed her eager walk over to the truck. "C'mon, Tifa, we're gonna get in trouble."

She spared him a look of disdain. "You're such a wet blanket," she informed him, before poking through some of the props with an air of delight. "Wow, look at this tiara! And is this a _real_ bow and arrow set?"

"I dunno," he sighed again, glancing around in a paranoid manner. "But if we don't leave soon - "

"Excuse me!" A clear, female voice cut through the air from behind them, making both Tifa and Cloud freeze in the act. An exasperated look crossed his face as he nudged her and hissed.

"I _told_ you! Let's get outta here."

He put an arm across her shoulders to steer her away, neither of them turning around to see who they had offended. Only when a different, softer and much less affronted voice called, "Cloud?" did they turn back.

Cloud was taken aback when he saw who had spoken. "Aeris?" he said curiously, for there she was, standing next to the other lady who had called before; the lady looked like her boss, who in turn seemed to be head of the costume department. Aeris, paler than usual with dark shadows under her eyes, took a shaky step forward.

"Cloud, what are you doing here?" she frowned. "Are you... looking for me?"

But his attention was on her appearance, which made him ask in concern, "What's the matter with you, Aeris...? Why do you look so sick?" He had already started walking towards her when she swayed dizzily, and Cloud bolted forward to hold her upright. "Aeris! Are you okay?"

"I'm - I'm fine," said Aeris weakly, but she still gripped onto him as if afraid she couldn't stand up on her own.

Tifa hung back, watching this and not knowing how she felt. Then, figuring Cloud had it all under control (and she seemed to have a heavy heart, coming to terms with this), she turned around, still gazing around the gardens but with all the spirit gone.

She was so preoccupied by her thoughts that she didn't realise she had walked into the path of a very large, heavy-looking trolley that had a rack of traditional robes on it. The man pushing it, unable to see in front of the trolley, was shouting, "Out of the way, please, everyone, out of the way!" But Tifa, lost in her own world, walked right into its path -

The brunette gasped as a pair of strong hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her backwards, away from danger. She blinked as the trolley wheeled right in front of her, flattening the ground on which she had been standing a mere second ago.

"You want to be careful of where you stand, too, in this garden," said a man's voice just above her ear.

Tifa spun around and exclaimed happily, "Mister Rufus! Wow - thank you. I... I didn't realise."

Rufus smiled at her also. "I surmised so much," he said. "Still got a lot on your mind?"

"Yeah," she said, nodding as though this could not be helped. "But what are you doing here? I thought you would have left Nibelheim by now."

"As a matter of fact," said Rufus evenly, glancing around the busy place. He looked especially impressive in his trench coat compared to the black-jacket uniforms of the crew, but Tifa didn't notice this. "I'm part of this new production. I work here."

"Are you?" Tifa was fervent. "Ooh, I get it. You must be a new recruit, right?"

Rufus tried not to laugh at her obliviousness. "No, not exactly," he said slowly.

"No?" she frowned, trying to figure it out. "Then what are you in charge of?"

"Hmm..." Rufus thought about it for a moment, looking decidedly cool as he did it. Everything about Rufus Shinra was cool and composed. "I guess you could say I'm in charge of everything around here. But today I'm looking into the props. We're missing a particular set of robes we need for a scene. A set of turquoise robes with a red bow." He glanced at her with interest, "Do you know where we can find some in Nibelheim?"

In fact, Rufus had come over to delegate the task to someone else (because Heidegger was missing in action at the moment), but meeting Tifa had changed his mind. Spending some time in her company wasn't exactly unappealing. She amused him, and amusing people in his life were far and few.

"We could always try the market place," she suggested brightly. "They have everything there. It might take awhile, but if we find it, it will all be worth it, right? I mean, this is your job we're talking about here."

Rufus chuckled at her serious tone at the end. "Right," he nodded. "Exactly. Shall we go then?"

Tifa hesitated for a moment. Then she smiled and nodded. Yuffie and Vincent would be busy for the rest of the day, scouting around the place for good shots and views. And Cloud had Aeris to look after...

* * *

"It won't help, Cloud, it's not a cold that I have," Aeris said softly. "The doctors say that my body's just experiencing a tiny breakdown - from the stress of work and uni and everything. I just need some rest."

Cloud listened intently; they were sitting in her car, parked outside the gardens, away from the hustle and bustle.

"Then why don't you get some?" he said, watching her with a worried frown. "Take a day off or something."

But Aeris shook her head without looking at him.

"I need my work to take my mind off things, Cloud," she almost whispered. Catching his uncomprehending look, she added, "I was dumped. On my birthday." Aeris sighed, gazing out to the road with dull eyes while Cloud digested this information. "If there's one thing I can teach you, Cloud, it's that you shouldn't risk going into a relationship you know wasn't meant to last. You... might get attached. And parting might be a lot harder than you initially thought."

There was quiet as Cloud thought about these words, then Aeris sighed again, doing something unexpected and buckling her seatbelt.

"I need a break," she murmured, almost to herself. She fixed imploring eyes on him, "Will you accompany me today, Cloud?"

He nodded and buckled his own seatbelt as Aeris smiled a small smile and turned on the engine.

They drove in silence for ten minutes, save the soft music coming out of the speakers. Once or twice, Cloud looked over at her and opened his mouth to ask where they were going, but he thought better of it and shut it again. Aeris didn't usually look so rigid and... sad, and he wasn't sure how to act around her.

At last they pulled into the car park of a classy restaurant and Aeris led the way inside.

"Is this your idea of a break?" asked Cloud, a note of wry disapproval in his voice as he looked around. Eating was obviously not what Aeris intended to do as she headed straight towards the bar.

She smiled again, a hollow smile.

"You must think really low of me, right?" she asked softly, not looking at him as she took a seat at the counter. "Or that I'm really weak. I don't usually drink, Cloud... but..." her eyes were dull and pained as she spoke, "Perhaps I should try, just this once. My friends do it all the time."

Cloud sat beside her reluctantly and watched as the bartender passed a whole bottle and a short tumbler over. He himself had no experience with alcohol, save the fateful time he had drank Aunt Rina's currant wine, and was apprehensive about this. Since they were kids, Aeris had always been the one to try something new while he watched on tender hooks.

So while Cloud sat there, keeping a wary eye on Aeris as she drank through the bottle, Tifa and Rufus had driven to the Nibelheim market place in search for turquoise robes. They paused at every likely-looking stall but were disappointed each time. Still, nothing deterred them and Tifa was especially optimistic as they wove through the busy crowds.

More than once, Rufus voiced aloud the suggestion that they give up and look elsewhere, perhaps at the big department store - but Tifa was adamant and Rufus saw no point in arguing with her.

"Do you do this often?" he asked curiously as they were rejected yet again. "It's almost been two hours... aren't you getting tired?"

"Well, a little," admitted Tifa. "But we must continue on, we haven't even checked the whole place out yet. Oh, let's look in here." The brunette ducked into a store displaying some robes out front. Rufus followed her cautiously, glancing around (he wasn't entirely used to these shabby, hastily erected stalls), and stumbled backwards when she let out a squeal.

"Look, Rufus! Turquoise robes!"

Rufus looked accordingly and an appreciative look lit his face. "They're just the right shade, too," he said, as the young man looking after the stall came out to greet them eagerly. "But..."

She frowned at once, "But what?"

"There's no red bow. It's essential to the story," he explained furtively.

At this, the young man hurried away and came back with a large, red ribbon in his hands. "Sir, you could always buy both," the man said, looking quite desperate to sell something. "The robes and the bow... then you could sew them together."

Rufus shook his head, "I don't have time to go through all that. Unless..." his ice-blue eyes fell upon the sewing machine stowed in the corner of the stall. "Unless you could do it for me now."

But the young man's face fell. "I'm not the owner," he said disconsolately. "So I don't know anything about that."

Tifa looked from one man to the other, then stepped forward and said, "How about I do it? I know enough about sewing. It would be fun." She smiled encouragingly at them, and when they just looked at her, she took matters into her hands briskly and went to pick up the robes and the bow.

Rufus sounded dubious, "Are you sure you can do this?"

"Of course," she said loftily, seating herself by the sewing machine. "Just trust me."

It took Tifa a little over an hour to sew and stitch the red ribbon on just right. By then, night was starting to fall and as the store keeper bowed them out with many thanks and lots of enthusiasm, the first stars had already begun to shine. Rufus was carrying the new set of robes in a bag and Tifa walked beside him, looking a little tired but pleased.

"Well, I'm glad I took you with me today," remarked Rufus in an appraising voice. "Who knows if I could ever get these robes without your help."

Tifa's face split into a grin. "You're welcome, mister, if that's what you're trying to say," she replied, then hurried forward to a food stall on the side of the market street. "Now why don't you return the favour? I'm starving."

Rufus wrinkled his nose as she pulled out some interesting food items from the steaming pot. Fish balls, chunks of beef and pork, and even chicken wings were skewered onto sticks. Rufus had seen many people, usually students, eating these as snacks back at Midgar, but he had never sampled them himself. Street food wasn't something he came across often.

"Er..."

"What's wrong?" asked Tifa through a mouthful of fish. "You don't like them?"

Rufus swallowed, considering the skewer she was holding out to him. "Well - it's just - I've never tried it before," he said cautiously, and her grin widened.

"Oh, really? Are you too high and mighty for common street food?" she teased. "Just try it! It's delicious. Really."

Looking as though he'd rather not, Rufus took the skewer and took a very careful, guarded bite. He chewed slowly while she watched him, and his expression looked more appeased as the seconds passed.

"Tasty?" she prompted.

He smiled and nodded, "Tasty."

Tifa giggled and started on another skewer, also ordering two steaming cups of soup to warm them up. After this quick meal and a bit more meandering through the streets, chatting, they decided to call it a day. Their taxi pulled up in front of a fancy hotel and Tifa gawked out the window as Rufus got out. He smiled slightly at her expression.

"Wow, this is the most expensive hotel in Nibelheim!" she exclaimed. "You must be really rich, Mister Rufus."

Rufus' curt smile widened as though enjoying an inside joke, but he was saved from giving a reply by Heidegger hurrying out of the hotel to his side. He bowed as he always did, saying breathlessly, "President Shinra, sir, you're here! Where have you been, sir?"

"I've been - shopping," said Rufus evasively, but he snuck a glance at the dumbfounded expression on Tifa's face, enjoying it immensely.

Had she heard right? _President Shinra._ Tifa's jaw dropped a little, her quick mind rapidly zipping and making connections. _President Shinra... Rufus... Shinra Productions..._

With a little smirk, Rufus turned back to her and inclined his head slightly. "It's already been our second meeting; perhaps we can learn each other's surnames." Tifa continued to stare at him in amazement and he tried hard not to laugh, "My name is Rufus Shinra, President of Shinra Productions."

"Ah," said a very meek Tifa, sounding like something was stuck at the back of her throat. "I'm Tifa Lockhart."

"Tifa Lockhart," Rufus repeated in his smooth, deep voice.

"Yeah," the brunette said, feeling sheepish but still perky. "Wow, I had no idea you were so - _prestigious._ This changes things. Should I call you sir? Or Mr Shinra? Or President Shinra?"

Rufus chuckled, "Actually, I like how you address me now. It's... different." He would have also liked to add that it made him feel younger and more youthful, but Heidegger was still hovering eagerly there.

Tifa nodded amicably, "Alright then, Mister Rufus, you're the president." Her red-brown eyes sparkled and Rufus laughed.

"Take the cab back home; I don't like the idea of you taking a bus alone at this hour. The money's been taken care of, so don't worry about it."

She nodded again, grateful, then waved out of the window and watched as Rufus and Heidegger walked back inside the hotel. She smiled to herself, amused and still shocked by this revelation about the identity of her new friend, but something at the sparkly, glass entrance of the hotel caught her attention. Tifa hastily told the driver to stop and she climbed out of the taxi, puzzled.

Cloud was walking into the hotel, or trying to at least while supporting most of Aeris' weight. She seemed unsteady and wobbly on her feet, like she was barely conscious, and Tifa watched as he gave up trying to support her and instead pulled her over his shoulders for a piggyback.

In a minute both Aeris and Cloud had disappeared from the entrance, but Tifa stood outside, chewing on her lip out of habit. _Should I wait?_ she thought doubtfully. _He might be back out in a moment. Why is he even here at all? Is Aeris okay? She didn't seem like she could walk on her own... But if she's that sick, she should go to the hospital. _The brunette sighed, glanced up at the grand building and then perched herself on a bench. She could wait awhile as well as not.

It was only a moment, but it seemed like a long time in the cold and dark when Tifa's phone started to ring with a call from Cloud. She picked up eagerly.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Tifa," he greeted back, sounding tired.

"Hey," she replied in a mellow voice, genuinely glad to hear his voice. She quickly decided to play oblivious. "Where are you right now? Are you going back home?"

There was a pause before he answered, "Actually, I don't think I can come home anytime soon tonight. Because... Aeris isn't feeling too well, and I think I should look after her for now."

His voice was hesitant and apologetic, as if he wasn't sure how Tifa would react, but she nodded understandingly and then (realising he couldn't see this) said, "Oooh, okay."

"Yeah..." his voice trailed off slightly. "Have you had dinner yet?"

"Yeah. Have you?"

"Not... really."

"What? It's so late! Want me to pick something up for you?" Her bright tone brought a smile to his face.

"Don't bother, Tifa. I'm not too hungry anyway." He seemed to realise something and his brow furrowed, "Wait, does that mean you're still out? At this hour?"

"Yeah," said Tifa, unfathomed.

"Please tell me you're with Yuffie and Vincent."

"Er... I am?"

"Tifa," his voice was full of frustration. "You're going against orders. I forbade you to go anywhere alone at night."

That made her smile. "And since when did I ever listen to you?"

"Still... I'm serious. It's dangerous. Go home right now. And don't catch a bus. Take a taxi."

"But it's so expensive," she complained, thinking longingly of the free cab ride she had just missed out on.

She heard him sigh over the phone. "I'll reimburse you." His concern made her smile again.

"Alright, alright, fine," she made a point to sigh back heavily and she could almost _hear_ him smirk. "Do you want..." she hesitated, then said quickly, "Do you want me to wait for you?"

A split second's silence, then Cloud's nonplussed voice said, "Why would you wait for me? Just go home in one piece and make up an excuse to tell my parents." There was another pause. "Well... good night."

Cloud hung up and walked out of the bathroom into the main section of the hotel room. Aeris was asleep on the queen sized bed and he felt a twinge of pity and hurt at the sight of her lying there, looking so vulnerable and miserable. Just as Cloud had feared, she couldn't handle her liquor and lost her inhibition very quickly. It was fortunate that the hotel was just a little way from the restaurant.

_Aeris..._ he thought, watching her sleep. _What's happening? You were always the strong one out of the two of us._

His mind flashed back to the afternoon they'd spent in the bar, watching anxiously as Aeris had drink after drink. When midnight came, Cloud stood up; he had to return home before he got into serious trouble.

But as he tiptoed around the bed to leave, Aeris' plaintive voice called his name.

"Cloud... don't go..."

"Aeris," he said, smiling in relief as he came back to her side again. Her green eyes were fixed on him pleadingly. "How are you feeling?"

She grimaced, "Pretty bad... but I'd feel better if you stayed." Her voice was weak and soft, and even as she spoke her eyes were fluttering shut. "I don't... I don't want to be alone tonight." Her voice shook slightly, and a flash of anger raced in Cloud's chest at her boyfriend for doing this to her.

"Alright, Aeris," he said soothingly, sitting back by her side. "Don't worry. I'll stay."

She smiled, and even while exhausted and upset she looked beautiful. "Thanks, Cloud," she whispered. "I don't know... what I'd do without you."

Cloud returned the smile, even though his heart inside seemed to be beating an erratic pattern at her words.

* * *

Tifa peeked into his bedroom the next morning before school. Her face fell when she saw that his bed hadn't been slept in and she bit her lip, wondering how she was going to worm their way out of this one. Tiptoeing inside, she grabbed his uniform, stuffed the clothes into his bag with some books, took his blazer and carried them out with her.

She was heading towards the front door, glancing around to make sure Cloud's parents weren't around, when she heard it open very quietly as if the visitor was sneaking around like she was. Then she almost gasped aloud when she ran into Cloud himself, still wearing his clothes from yesterday and looking dishevelled. They blinked at one another, taken-aback, but had no time to say anything because right at that moment Mr Strife emerged from the kitchen.

"Oh!" exclaimed Tifa, trying to cover up her shock. She shoved Cloud's bag and blazer into his arms and bowed hastily, "We're going to school now, Father."

"Ah - yeah," said Cloud, quickly cottoning on and also bowing. "Bye, Dad."

Mr Strife smiled benignly, none the wiser. "Alright. Have a good day, kids."

They both hurried outside to their bikes, shutting the front door.

"Your uniform's in your bag," Tifa explained, wheeling her own bike out. "You can get dressed at school."

"Thanks," Cloud grinned at her, once again amazed at her quick wit and ability to pull them out of sticky situations.

She fixed him with an incredulous stare. "But did you really only come back this morning?"

"Well... I didn't mean to, but I fell asleep," he stifled a yawn as he spoke. "Believe me, I was shocked when I woke up and saw the time. I bolted back here from the bus stop and was prepared to beg for my life on my knees."

"What, to your dad or me?" she asked stiffly.

He grinned lopsidedly again, "To my dad, of course. _You_ wouldn't get angry at me, would you, Teef?"

She scoffed and started wheeling her bike out to the road, not exactly sure why she felt so annoyed. Cloud chuckled and hastened to get his own, "Hey, wait for me, little miss dragon!"

"By the way," called her lofty voice as she went on ahead. "You owe me money."

"For what?"

"You said you'd reimburse my taxi ride home last night."

Cloud chuckled again, "Fine, fine. I'll pay you for that," he said good-naturedly. _And also for being a good wife._

What with homework, the excitement of Shinra Productions filming at the gardens and the students' everyday social pursuits, the next few weeks slipped by quickly. The filming schedule became progressively busier and more hectic so that on certain days the garden was closed off to the public. Yuffie managed to drop her new camera twice (fortunately it had a warranty) and Vincent had started sketching three new pictures he had yet to finish.

Meanwhile, Tifa was given five more awards during morning assembly for her academic achievements, and Cloud also started to gain repute among his teachers as he worked diligently. Sometimes, though, his old habits got the better of him.

"Tifa, please," Cloud begged. They were in her room as they usually were after dinner; she would sit on the floor and study while he worked at her desk. In response to his grovelling, she swept him a severe look over the top of her glasses.

"It's your fault you didn't even _read_ the book," she scolded. "I'm not writing the essay for you."

"How can you be so heartless?" he whined, adorably pathetic. "I _did_ try to read it - I just can't understand its archaic language like you can. I'm not as smart as you. There - are you happy?"

She snorted, though slightly mollified, "Don't even start."

Cloud's gaze became desperate. "Tifa," he pleaded. "It's due tomorrow - I'll get zero for it otherwise. Do you want that on your conscience?"

"If it's due tomorrow, then I suggest you start now," she said immovably, casting her eyes back to her own work.

He stared at her to see that she was unyielding. Then, sighing in defeat, Cloud stood up and marched to the door. "Fine," he muttered. "_Fine_, be like that, you fiendish dragon... I'm going to bed."

Tifa blinked as he swept past; he left his books and paper on her desk. "Hey," she said uncertainly. "You're really not going to do it?"

His expression was morose. "How can I? I have no idea what the stupid book's about." And then he was gone, Tifa staring at his blank piece of paper thoughtfully.

Cloud was roused by his mother in the morning, hitting him on the back and telling him to wake up and eat breakfast for a change. Sluggish and dishevelled, he stumbled downstairs after brushing his teeth and putting on his uniform, finding both his parents at the table. His father was dressed for the day already, reading a newspaper and drinking his coffee. His mother was eating a bowl of cereal.

He stifled a yawn as he sat down, "Where's Ti - Tifa?"

"She had an early class this morning," his mum explained, now pouring milk over his cereal. "She left an hour ago."

"Oh," was all he said. Then he picked up his spoon and stuffed his mouth, brooding about the lecture he was going to receive from his teacher for not doing his homework.

When it was time to leave, Cloud tripped upstairs again to get his bag from his room. He was almost out of the room when he noticed a book and some papers lying on his desk, and doubled back to pick them up. He was mystified. Hadn't he left these in Tifa's room?

Looking closer, Cloud saw that there were typed words flowing across the page - and as he read it, he saw that these words formed his essay. A grin lit his face and he bolted to school with five minutes to spare.

"Tifa - TIFA!"

He caught her emerging from the maths classroom, puffy-eyed and yawning. Her brown eyes widened in surprise at the sight of him running over to her and shoving a hot drink in her hand.

"What - what's all this?" she spluttered as he caught his breath.

Cloud grinned at her, "Your thank you gift." He held up the essay she'd done for him. "Thanks a lot, Teef. You saved my life."

A faint pink tinge appeared in her cheeks and she was vastly pleased at his gratitude, but Tifa just said, "Just don't let it happen again."

"Yes, ma'am! I'm indebted to you. Although the coffee evens out the balance a bit..."

"This is coffee? But I don't drink coffee."

"Ha, way ahead of you. It's actually hot chocolate. Give your husband a little credit, I do know _something_ about you."

And so life continued in a way that could only be described as normal - as it could be, being married and away from home. Mr Lockhart and Aunt Rina came over occasionally for dinner; otherwise Cloud and Tifa went back to her old home to spend time with her father and aunt. Busy as her life had suddenly become, what with her final year of school along with being class president and duties she had to fulfill with that role, Tifa didn't mind. She especially enjoyed those visits back home, where even Aunt Rina had developed a liking for Cloud.

What she _didn't_ particularly love were the visits made by one Aeris Gainsborough. Aeris was practically family to the Strifes and visited often for afternoon tea. Tifa always felt timid and meek in her presence, never saying much while the rest of the family chattered about old memories and about Aeris' family. Silly as it was, Tifa also couldn't repress the feeling that Aeris didn't like her. But then that was stupid - Aeris had never done anything but smile and be polite to her.

"Maybe she's jealous of you."

Tifa raised her eyebrows at Yuffie's suggestion. "Excuse me?" she said dully. "Have you seen her, Yuff? She's like a model - only without the haughtiness and arrogance. An angel is a better description. She has no reason to be jealous of me."

Yuffie waved her hand impatiently, "Hear me out, Teef. She's close to them, right? And all of a sudden, here you are - a part of the family, just like that. And it's obvious his parents adore you and that you've even grown on Cloud, so it's no wonder why she's jealous. You're almost like... an intruder. A rival, even."

The brunette mulled upon this, her eyes unconsciously following the ball the boys were kicking around. Their classes were having a casual sport lesson on the courtyard; the girls were lazing around, doing stretches.

"Hey, Tifa! Over here!" Cloud called jubilantly as the ball rolled over to her feet.

Yuffie glanced sideways at her friend as Tifa slowly stood up, positioned her foot, and deliberately kicked the sphere to the other side - far away from Cloud. She didn't know why she felt annoyed at him all of a sudden. Or maybe it was just a part of her nature now - to irritate Cloud as much as he did her.

His grin was replaced with a scowl and he made a mock threatening gesture that, loosely translated, meant, "I'll see you after school."

"What did you do now?" asked Vincent, jogging beside Cloud as they both went after the ball. His tone wasn't sharp and protective as it might have been once; it was perplexed and carried a trace of humour.

Cloud grunted in response, concentrating on the game, "Who knows. I can't keep up anymore."

Their teacher spoke to the class then, asking suggestions for a game that would include everyone. Someone suggested dodge ball and this was greeted with general enthusiasm. Soon, the girls found themselves within the confines of a square while the boys surrounded them, holding the ball. What followed was a predictable ball game between the opposite sexes; the girls giggled and squealed and the boys eagerly showed off their strength and aim while also ensuring that they didn't hit the girls _too _hard.

"Here, Cloud!" called Vincent, passing the ball suddenly.

Not expecting it, Cloud caught it by the fingertips and threw it off quickly into the crowd of girls. The throw was half-hearted enough so that Tifa caught it, much to the excitement and cheers of the girls. She beamed, flushed; sport was the one class she didn't excel in.

"Hey, Strife," said a boy idly on Cloud's left. "You aren't going easy on your wife, are you?"

Cloud burned at this outrageous accusation. "What?" he growled.

"I'm just saying..." the boy drawled, walking off with a vague smirk. Cloud scowled. Clenching his teeth, he ordered for the ball and when he caught it easily in his hands, he turned to Tifa. She looked at him uneasily, interpreting his smirk.

_Oh no he wouldn't - _

"OUCH!" she cried as the ball bounced off her back.

Cloud's expression couldn't have been any more gleeful; several girls looked scandalised. Tifa looked at him furiously.

"Ah, you can be a bit more gentle, Mr Strife," said their teacher uneasily.

"Oh, of course," Cloud returned cheerfully, but Tifa knew he wasn't going to accede. She braced herself for the worst as his smirk became more pronounced.

Cloud was evidently enjoying the game much more now. He jumped about the place, eager to have the ball passed to him. The rest of the class stared in shock and part amusement as he ever aimed for the one person. And he wasn't being very gentle, either; poor Tifa was the target of his merciless pegs and throws. She was never hit anywhere higher than the middle of her back, but she was still subjected to copious amounts of pain.

"Ow - OUCH!" the brunette exclaimed when the ball hit her on the shins for the umpteenth time; she cursed his perfect aim. "Hey, stop it!" she cried at him, knowing she sounded pathetic. His smug expression told her he wasn't going to and she grit her teeth.

For a minute the ball was thrown by other boys - other more _civilised_ boys, she thought lividly - when it ended up, inevitably, in Cloud's hands.

"Oh, no," she gasped, making a run for it.

The ball sailed through the air, less forcefully than before, and she instinctively threw out her hands to shield herself. The ball caught her hand and randomly, abruptly, Tifa dropped her hands lower so that she could cradle the ball against her body.

Cloud looked furious with himself; the girls applauded and cheered, and Tifa realised she had caught the ball.

With a big grin, she raised her arm and threw it with as much strength as she could muster. The ball rebounded off Cloud's head comically, making some girls giggle, and he turned very slowly to meet her eyes. She smiled haughtily.

Chagrined, Cloud did the first thing that came to his mind. He set the ball on the ground and kicked it with a powerful, swift jerk of his foot.

He'd aimed purposely so that the ball wouldn't actually hit her, but would only soar near her head and give her a heart attack. As Tifa shrieked and lurched out of the way, he was successful in that score. He was also successful in making the ball go straight through the window of an empty classroom.

Cloud cringed as the glass shattered.

_Great. In trouble again._

Tifa gaped at the broken window before looking over to their teacher and then back at Cloud. She grimaced.

_Great. Serves him right._

_

* * *

_

Cloud received an afternoon detention, doing one of the most clichéd and traditional punishments ever. He didn't even think it still existed.

_Then again_, he thought, clapping the dusters together with more vim than necessary. _In this - sorry - little - town - __Nibelheim__ - _He clapped them harder with each word and then sneezed as the dust assaulted his nose.

"Need help?" came an amused voice.

Cloud looked through the clearing chalk-dust cloud and saw Tifa standing in the deserted courtyard. He sighed in annoyance, continuing with his clapping. "What do you want? Come here to gloat?"

Tifa's lips twitched, moving closer, "It serves you right," she said severely. "Why did you have to keep throwing it at me? And what possessed you to kick the ball?"

Cloud shrugged, "It was fun."

She scowled and he grinned.

"But it didn't hurt, right?"

"Are you kidding?" she scoffed. "I'm going to have bruises."

"Overdramatic."

"Lady killer," she shot back.

This time, Cloud scowled. "Are you gonna help me or not? I have about a hundred dusters to clap. Why the school still uses blackboards is beyond me, they went out ages ago..."

Tifa repressed a laugh at his ranting, "Fine, I'll help."

"Good," said Cloud. He picked up two dusters and threw them at her, forgetting that Tifa was none to good at catching things and very adept to being hit. The dusters struck her in the chest and bounced off, leaving white marks all over her uniform before she even had time to raise her hands.

Cloud groaned, "What am I going to do with you? Your reflexes are terrible."

Tifa blushed, "Shut up!"

"Here, why don't we practice? Try catch - this one!" he threw another duster at her, but it only succeeded in getting more chalk on her blazer. Her burning look was extremely entertaining, and he snickered.

"Ugh, Strife, you are unbearable," muttered Tifa.

Cloud laughed, "Whatever, just help me - " He was cut off by a duster coming at his head. She smiled angelically, reminding him of the time when they had first met and she had grinned just like that before taking off with his phone. "That's it, you asked for it!"

"What - no!" she shrieked as he prepared to bombard her with seven dusters at a time.

They took off around the empty courtyard, laughing and yelping as they had a 'duster war'. More often than not, it was Tifa running away for dear life, but for ten seconds Cloud complied to standing still against the wall while she pelted the dusters at him. By the end, both were covered in white marks and the state of their black blazers would make Mrs Strife faint.

The sun had disappeared and the blue light preceding darkness had come upon them when they were finishing the last of the dusters, seeing who could produce the biggest dust cloud when clapping them together.

Cloud burst out laughing, "I wish you could see yourself. You look like a vampire."

Tifa stuck out her tongue, brushing vigorously at her face. "You started it. In fact, you can finish it." She dropped the dusters and walked off, patting at her skirt on her way and muttering under her breath, "Stupid dusters..."

Smiling to himself, Cloud gathered up the dusters in groups and placed them back on the side of the classroom. When he went to get his bike, Aeris called to tell him that she was at his house with his parents, playfully urging him to hurry back. That put a definite light and spring in his step as he rode out of the grounds, eager to get home. But the sight of Tifa up ahead at the school gates made him stop. She looked panicked, searching through her bag and her pockets.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked.

She looked up, biting her lip. "I can't find my wallet! I think I might have lost it back there."

Cloud sighed fretfully, "That's no mystery. You were running around like a maniac back there."

"What am I going to do?" she moaned, her brow furrowed.

"What else can you do?" he said dully. "Go back and look for it before it really gets dark. See you at home." He put his foot on the pedal and rode off, trying to ignore the small surge of guilt he felt. He had ridden the length of one street before his conscience smote him and he stopped again, muttering to himself, "I wonder if she's really going to search until nightfall." Then he sighed, turning his bike back around and pedalling back.

He hopped off at the school gate and sauntered in, feeling rather heroic and great. He grinned when he found her near the bushes, bending down to find her wallet.

"Hey," Cloud called, and she whirled around in surprise. "How much are you going to pay me if I find it for you?"

Tifa smiled as he came over to help her.

They searched, looking all over the courtyard before delving into the bushes where she had ran through before. They took out their phones to use as torches while it grew colder and colder, and the sky darkened to a deep, velvety blue.

"Hey, it's getting cold," said Cloud dismally after awhile. "Let's go home. Your wallet didn't have too much money in it, right?"

But the brunette shook her head, still determinedly peering around with her phone. "I can't just give up so easily," she said. "There's a photo of my mother in it."

If anything convinced Cloud to stay behind, it was that. He nodded and continued to look with her, going deeper and deeper into the bushy area and keeping his eyes out for anything out of place. And then the light from his phone fell on something rectangular and small, and for a moment he hardly dared to believe it.

A grin splitting his face, Cloud plucked up the wallet and exclaimed, "I found it!"

Tifa also straightened up from where she was. Her face lit up when she recognised her wallet and she beamed at him, too relieved and happy for words.

It was almost dinner time when the pair got home, frozen cold but happy at their success. Cloud and Tifa went in to find his parents and Aeris at the coffee table, ready to greet them.

"We're home!"

"Oh, are you? Why are you both so late, dears? And - oh! Your uniforms!" Mrs Strife spluttered.

"Ah, never mind about that, Mum," said Cloud with a sheepish smile.

Both girls were equally surprised to see the other there.

"Hi, Tifa," greeted Aeris, glancing round at Cloud. "So something came up with Tifa, did it, Cloud?" Her voice was friendly and teasing, but there was unquestionable surprise in her tone.

"Yeah," he replied meekly. "Sorry, Aeris."

"It's okay," she smiled at him. "I was going to take you and Tifa out to dinner tonight, anyway. We can still make it."

"Ah, of course you can," Mr Strife said benignly. "Why don't you two go get changed now? It's cold outside."

"Yes, and give me your uniforms as soon as you're out of them," said Mrs Strife, appalled.

Obediently, Cloud and Tifa went upstairs to their rooms and Aeris followed. Cloud quickly ran into his own room, stuffing clothes into his wardrobe and trying to tidy up his mess-of-a-desk while Aeris was still in the doorway. She giggled.

"Your bedroom in Midgar was far messier than this," she pointed out. Her emerald eyes took in the detail of Cloud's bedroom, until they fastened on something hanging off his lamp. It was his pendant.

"Wow, you still have this!" Aeris said animatedly, picking it up before he could stop her. She chuckled, "And the picture's still the same too."

Cloud was smiling rigidly, hoping his expression wouldn't betray him. "Yeah," he said. "Er - I hope that doesn't make you feel uncomfortable."

They both knew he was thinking about her words from a few weeks ago, the words she had spoken at the amusement park. The memory made a crease flicker on her forehead, but Aeris smiled.

"No, it doesn't," she said truthfully, and he looked at her in surprise. "And now that I have the chance to say it..." she marshalled her thoughts and looked up at him intently. "This is going to sound silly, but I want to thank you for liking me, Cloud." A pretty, genuine smile lit her delicate features. "For caring how I felt, for looking after me. I didn't realise what a gift that was. So thank you."

Cloud looked at her, not knowing what to say.

Her delicate smile broadened into a grin, and taking his hand, she cupped the pendant back into it. "And now I hope _you_ can hang onto this without feeling uncomfortable, either."

"Aeris..." he still didn't know what to say in response.

At that moment, Tifa's door opened across from Cloud's and she stepped out. Both Cloud and Aeris turned to look and Tifa stared at the scene before her, with his hand still clasped between Aeris'. Noticing this, Cloud instinctively jerked his hand away, but Tifa had already seen and was now trying to ignore the strange, new feeling twisting in her stomach.

Aeris looked bright and buoyant as usual as she said, "Hey, Tifa. Are you ready to go?"

What was this she was feeling? Tifa struggled to repress it and she put on a small smile, nodding.

_Get a grip of yourself, Lockhart! Why can't you be natural around this girl? Every smile has to feel so forced. And since when did you get all timid and meek around people?_

Tifa sighed internally as she and Aeris walked in silence downstairs, leaving Cloud to get dressed. Her mind wandered to Yuffie's words, but she quickly dismissed them.

Jealousy just _couldn't_ be the problem - for either of them.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Hopefully this long chapter makes up for it. :D Christmas and New Years have been pretty chaotic! It was also hard to write this chapter and I was starting to get bored with it. But here you are and hopefully it's not boring for you. :) And my belated _Twilight_ rampage has really distracted me - but enough with my excuses! Hehe, feedback is always adored. :) - msq.

PS. Some of you say you enjoy my long chapters ;) - I'm so glad! Because I actually try really hard to condense and make shorter chappies, but as long as you're all happy, then okay.


	9. Annoyance And Affection

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII and the Korean drama _Sassy Girl Choon-Hyang_. ;)

**Golden Sonnet**

**Chapter Nine**

**

* * *

**

Tifa speared her fork through a piece of spinach ravioli as soon as it was served, just to give herself something to do while her company talked. She was starting to seriously wonder what was the matter with her. Was she coming down with something? Something that made her feel anti-social?

_Pneumonia? Glandular fever?_ She shook her head, vexed, and shovelled in another mouthful of pasta. _Ugh, why would I even think that? There __is__ something wrong with me._

Cloud watched her apprehensively as his own steak was served. "Hey, be careful," he said. "Don't burn yourself."

Her mouth was too full to retort, but his tone was concerned rather than taunting.

Aeris watched them over her lasagna and added laughingly, "Tifa must be hungry." Tifa's mouth was still full, so she couldn't manage anything except a weak smile in response. Aeris' eyes wandered and landed on Cloud's phone sitting beside his plate. She picked it up at once, letting the purple accessory dangle in the air.

"Wow, this design is so unique and pretty," she praised, turning the delicate thread between her fingers.

"Is it?" Cloud reached out to take back his phone. "Do you want it?"

Tifa hiccoughed on her pasta and went into a coughing fit, glaring at him as he jauntily took off the accessory and handed it over to a delighted Aeris.

"Where did you get it?" she asked admiringly.

"Oh, Tifa made it for me."

Cloud's easy reply made Aeris' expression tighten and she nodded slowly, her eyes trailing back to Tifa. "Oooh... I see. Then are you sure it's okay to give it away to me?" She was speaking to Cloud, but looking at Tifa who tried to look nonchalant.

"Yeah, it's fine," the blonde said. "Tifa doesn't mind, she can make me another one any time. Right?" he turned to her good-naturedly.

She glowered at him, but had no choice but to nod half-heartedly, "It's fine."

Aeris smiled at her, "Thanks. It's really pretty."

As soon as Aeris' head was back down to her lasagna, Tifa turned and scowled at Cloud, but he didn't notice.

After dinner, the three set off for home as Aeris needed to pick up her car from there. In order to resist the temptation of strangling Cloud, and also eager to avoid the awkwardness of being left out while they talked, Tifa walked a few paces ahead, fuming to herself.

_Make another one for him?_ she ranted, her expression stormy. _Why would I do that? I'll never make anything for that idiot again. Ugh, brat. Jerk. Dummy. Baka. Birdbrain._

Cloud stared after her as Aeris clung onto his arm. "Why is that girl walking so fast?" he wondered out loud. "Hey, bad luck charm! Slow down."

But Tifa didn't hear him and, still vexed, turned from the sidewalk to the road, walking into the path of an oncoming motorcycle. Cloud heard and saw the bike a nanosecond before anyone else did; he lunged away from Aeris, darted up to Tifa and seized her from behind. Tifa shrieked as his strong arms curled around her neck and jerked her back to safety, all right before the motorbike zoomed past.

"Ugh!" she cried, throwing his arms off her. "What are you doing? Are you trying to _choke_ me?"

Cloud's eyes were wide with reproach. "You - you - you almost got hit by that bike!"

"I saw it," she said stonily, massaging her neck.

"Don't lie," he retorted. His heart was still pounding from what had almost happened. "You were so wrapped up in your own thoughts."

Tifa made a loud, tutting noise and stalked off. Cloud glowered after her and only broke his gaze when Aeris caught up with him and touched his wrist lightly.

"Is she angry?" she asked, her tone bewildered.

"Yeah," he said, mystified. "Come on, let's get back."

Tifa was already in the door when Cloud and Aeris reached the house. He said a hasty goodbye to Aeris before hurrying inside after her, running up the stairs and stopping her before she went inside her room.

"Hey, you! Here, you can strangle me then if you're that angry about it," he said wildly, bending down and exposing his neck for her. "Go on, go ahead - "

Tifa pushed him away incredulously and snapped, "I'm not angry because of that!"

"Then what is it?" he asked, perplexed.

She chewed on her lip vehemently and demanded, "How could you give away something I made for you? It's so - rude!"

"Oooh." Comprehension dawned on his face and he actually grinned, "Is that the reason why? If it bothered you so much, why didn't you say something? You said it was okay."

"_You're_ the one who decided that it was okay," she shot back. "But anyway, I've decided I don't care. You can give whatever you have to whoever pleases you." She marched into her room and slammed the door.

Cloud chuckled before thinking it over. _Mmm. I guess it was a little inconsiderate._ He went into his room and shut the door, still contemplating.

As he expected, Tifa was still cool towards him the next day, leaving for school before he had even finished his breakfast. But Cloud didn't mind so much; he knew he deserved it, and it was kind of entertaining and endearing. An annoyed Tifa reminded him of a furious kitten; completely harmless and unaware of it. Then again, there were moments when her temper made him bolt for it.

* * *

"He gave it away to her?" Yuffie was aghast as they walked out of the classroom. "How could he do that? What a jerk!"

"Mmm, but I don't want to talk about it," Tifa sighed. She was annoyed with herself as much as with Cloud; _why_ did she care so much? She had a feeling it wouldn't bother her too badly if it had been somebody else.

Yuffie looked at her reprovingly. "Tifa Lockhart!" she barked, so that the brunette jumped. "Can't you see your husband's eyes are wandering? You've gotta keep your hold on Cloud! Or that _witch_ - " Yuffie was vehement about Aeris' very existence, " - is gonna snatch him right up and away from you."

She blinked, "Huh?"

Yuffie sighed drastically, then smiled and put an arm around her best friend. "Well, there's only one way we can sort this," her dark eyes glittered impishly, "The only way to deal with an affair is with a counter-affair. Bring on the blind dates!"

It took Tifa several seconds to understand what was happening, and when she did, she pulled away from Yuffie and gasped, "Blind dates? Are you crazy?"

"Nope," grinned her eager friend. "We can hit the restaurant later and see how we go. But _first_, we must prepare ourselves."

Tifa remained dubious.

It turned out that her "preparations" included putting on make-up, which the girls did during lunch time. The boys came up to them with their food and stared.

"_What_ are you doing?" Cloud said bluntly as Yuffie applied mascara to Tifa's lashes.

"Mind your own business," they both snapped at the same time. He quirked an eyebrow and looked at Vincent, who grimaced and shrugged.

It wasn't until after school that Cloud caught wind of what was happening; he and Vincent were walking out of the gates, wondering where the girls had disappeared to, when Vincent mentioned that Yuffie had accidentally let slip something about a "blind date"; Cloud halted and turned to face him, his face alive with disbelief.

"A _blind date_?" he repeated. "Are you for real?"

Vincent furrowed his brow, "What's the big deal?" Then he blinked and a wary expression caught his face, "You don't think Yuffie was being _serious_, do you?" Cloud looked at him pointedly and Vincent heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What are they thinking... what's wrong with those two..."

"You've been friends with them for years, haven't you? Shouldn't you know them by now?"

"But a blind date?"

The two teenage boys looked quite morose for a moment, just standing outside of the school with scrunched up expressions. Then Cloud shook his head fiercely, "The heck - let's go find them!"

"Yeah, I want to know what brought this on," Vincent murmured as they fell into stride.

"Seems like something Yuffie would do."

"I guess..." he sounded a little put out by this, for some reason Cloud couldn't fathom, but went on, "But not Tifa. She usually sets Yuffie straight on these crazy ideas of hers."

It took nearly an hour for them to finally hunt down the girls in the same restaurant Yuffie had her birthday in. It was less crowded today and instead of a talent quest happening up front, the area had been cleared for a dance floor.

"There they are," Vincent's lips barely moved as he spoke, and Cloud looked over.

Over near the front were the girls themselves, accompanied by two older boys. Both looked rather smug with their company and Cloud felt a powerful surge of dislike at the mere sight of them; beside him, Vincent tensed a little. They casually sat down at another table, keeping a sharp eye on the girls.

Yuffie was laughing at something one of the boys was saying, her head turning slightly. Her eyes fastened on Vincent and Cloud, both staring pointedly back at her, and her laughter froze on her face. Cloud snorted as she quickly excused herself from the table and half-ran, half-ducked over to them.

"Hello," said Cloud casually, still watching Tifa from his peripheral vision. She seemed uncomfortable left on her own.

Yuffie's face was twisted, "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Vincent shot back, chagrined.

"We're - we're just having some fun," she replied in a hiss, casting an overt glance back towards Tifa.

"On a blind date?"

Yuffie's dark eyes travelled over Vincent's face almost guiltily for a second; then they whisked over to Cloud and she fired up, "Yes, on a blind date. Tifa just needs some fun in her life, okay? It's not her fault that she had marry_ you_ when she's only seventeen-years-old, and be forced to become middle-aged trying to please you!"

Cloud blinked.

Yuffie nodded fiercely, "So just leave us alone, okay?" She took a step away from their table and stopped all of a sudden. "Rufus Shinra," she breathed, her tone completely different.

"Huh?"

The boys turned to the entrance of the restaurant where President Shinra had just stepped in, surrounded by a group of people from his company. They sat on the far side of the room. Cloud was too pre-occupied to notice a certain brown-haired, green-eyed girl that was a part of that table; he turned around in time to see one of the boys trying to get Tifa to the dance floor.

In a trice, he had half-risen from the table. "What does he think he's doing - ?" he growled.

Yuffie, though worried, pushed him back down. "Wait, just wait," she whispered when Cloud looked at her fiercely. "Tifa can take care of herself. If she can't..."

"Then what?" he demanded.

"Then you can run over and be a hero. But really, those guys aren't that bad... they're pretty nice..."

Cloud snorted, but sat back down. "I'll give her sixty seconds," he warned.

Tifa wasn't having a pleasant time on her own; she wished Yuffie would hurry back from the bathroom. Sure, the guys were nice; there was just some other intent written on their faces which she didn't like the look of.

"Oh, no, I don't dance," she protested timidly when one of them (she'd forgotten his name already) stood up and offered his hand.

"Aw, c'mon." He grinned at her in what was supposed to be a charming way, "I bet that's just an excuse. I promise I won't bite." He waved his hand again, more persistently.

She smiled as politely as she could. "No, thank you."

The expression on his face hardened and in a swift movement he had her right wrist locked in his hand. Tifa was alarmed and tensed away, "What are you doing?"

"Just one dance," he requested smoothly, still with a smile. His hand tightened around her and he would have pulled her out of the seat had she not resisted.

"I said no - now let go of me, " Tifa snapped, her temper getting the better of her.

A hand shot out of nowhere, grabbing his wrist and dragging it off hers with firm strength. Tifa looked up in surprise to see Cloud dropping the boy's hand in disgust; she was surprised both by his presence and the leap her heart performed at the sight of him. But he wasn't looking at her; his ice blue eyes were sizing the other boy up malevolently.

"You heard her," Cloud said quietly.

"And what do you think you're doing?" the other boy sneered. "I suggest you leave me and my girl alone."

That made Cloud smirk; not the amused, indulgent smirk she was accustomed to, but one that was leering and humourless.

"Your girl?" he repeated.

"That's right," the boy said, and she wanted to punch his face in. "You got a problem with that?"

"And if I do?"

"Well then..." the boy's sneer became more pronounced. "I guess this will sort it out."

In a flash Tifa saw a flying fist coming towards Cloud and she gasped, "Cloud!" She shoved him away from danger with all her might so that a disoriented Cloud went spinning back into some tables. And then a fight was in action before Tifa could barely register it; Vincent and the other boy had jumped in within a fraction of a second.

It was chaos, unnecessary, and possibly all her fault - Tifa felt a horrible sense of deja vu, strangled by an odd desire to pull Cloud out of the fray. She didn't want to see him get hurt, and yet that was silly - he'd proven to be quite capable of taking care of himself.

"Tifa!" gasped Yuffie, running to her side and seizing her.

"Wait, Yuff - I'm okay - just - "

"What's going on here?"

The boys immediately paused, breaking apart and looking around. The voice had spoken in barely a shout, but it was authoritative and powerful and demanded attention. The restaurant had gone very quiet. Tifa whirled around, trying to process all that was going on and gave a little gasp.

"Mister Rufus?"

Rufus Shinra stood in front of them, tall and intimidating. His eyes were upon the boys in a patronising manner.

"And who the hell are you?" demanded the boy who had started it all.

Swiftly and quickly, Rufus was joined by all the men of his team. They stood behind him like bodyguards and he looked expectantly at the boy as if this were his answer. Considering their numbers, the boy grudgingly tapped his friend and they scarpered off. Vincent and Cloud glared after them as Yuffie flew over to make sure they were alright. Still rigid and dazed, Tifa stood to the side and Rufus walked over to her. His men dispersed back to their own table.

"You always seem to be in the thick of things," he commented with a half-smile. "Are you alright?"

"Y - yes," Tifa stammered mildly. "I - thank you. Again." Dimly, she could hear the faint murmur of other customers as they returned to their own conversations, and the sound of Yuffie's voice which was both anxious and awestruck.

Rufus chuckled, "You seem like you're still in shock. Come on, I'll take you home." With one hand he gently held onto the crook of her elbow to steer her away, but just then a disgruntled Cloud walked over. He didn't appear hurt at all and didn't notice Rufus at first.

"Tifa, let's go," he groaned. He stopped short and stared at Rufus, "What - another guy?" He seemed struck with disbelief for a second before throwing his hands up and saying wearily, "Alright, alright, I give up - stop playing games and just go home now." Cloud took her arm and start pulling her away, but was stopped by Rufus tightening his hold on her other arm.

"Excuse me," he said coldly. "But do you even know her?"

"Uh - " Tifa started in a small voice, but Cloud interrupted, staring oddly at Rufus.

"Err, yeah, I would say so," he shook his head. "Tifa, c'mon, let's go."

"I beg to differ," Rufus said wryly, still holding her arm firmly so that the brunette was lodged between the two men, gazing feebly at both of them. "What's your relation with her? I think you're just another punk trying to get lucky."

Cloud frowned at his tone and exclaimed, "What - it's not like that! Tifa's my wife."

A pause met his words.

Rufus actually smiled. "Ah," he said lightly. "I guess it's normal for high school kids these days to have such a firm attachment to their crush. I'm sure Tifa's flattered, but - "

Cloud sighed, getting impatient. "No, I'm serious," he said heavily, waving his fourth finger in the air so that Rufus caught a glimpse of the wedding band there. "Tifa's my wife. I'm her husband. She's a married girl."

This time, Rufus' hard gaze faltered and his grip loosened. Slowly, he turned to look at Tifa. She met his eyes rather meekly.

"Aren't you still a high school student?"

Tifa inwardly groaned; it wasn't as if she _didn't_ want Rufus to know she was married, nor was she ashamed of Cloud in any way. It was just telling other people that she was married when she was obviously still so young was always an unwelcome experience. The look on their face was always the same; badly disguised shock and instant disapproval.

"I'm a high school student," she finally answered. "And I'm also a married girl."

For five whole seconds, Rufus stared at the pair of them, unable to comprehend their words. Then slowly - bit by bit - it sunk in, and the hand on her arm dropped completely.

"I see," was all he said. A short, humourless chuckle followed, like it was towards himself, "Then I won't keep her from you." With one last curt look at them, Rufus had swept away.

Tifa cringed.

"What was that all about?" Cloud said blankly. "Hey, Tifa - "

She turned to him and at the sight of his face, a whole wave of emotions hit her; worry, frustration, impatience and guilt. It made her groan and spin back around, unable to deal with all this right now, and she walked straight off.

"Hey, where are you going?" he complained. He started to go after her, but somebody called his name and he looked round to see, to his bewilderment, Aeris standing there.

"Aeris? What are you - ?"

"Cloud, are you okay?" Aeris hurried over to him, anxious, but he cut her off. Tifa had already disappeared through the doors.

"Wait just a sec, Aeris, I need to talk to Tifa - TIFA!" Cloud sprinted out of the restaurant and caught up with her easily; she kept on walking, trying to ignore him. "Hey, you dragon, you need to stop getting angry at me, I can't keep up with your mood swings anymore!"

She moaned, closing her eyes, "Ugh, just leave me alone."

"How could you go around on _blind dates_ like this?" he kept up his tirade. "You're more crazy than I thought you were - hey, I'm gonna tell Dad what you were doing today, don't think I'm letting this slide - "

"Go away, go away, go away!"

Cloud was exasperated and halted in his steps, "Tifa - "

The brunette strode away from him and someone grabbed his arm from behind; it was Aeris, and she said in a pacifying voice, "Cloud - just let her go, she's obviously not in the mood to talk right now."

"But - you - she - you don't understand, Aeris!" he burst out, still glaring after her retreating figure. "She's doing this on purpose - to annoy me - "

Aeris furrowed her brow, "And are you upset by that?"

"What?" he said, plainly not listening. "She's doing this on purpose - that dragon - it's just like her to behave this way."

"Cloud, Cloud," said Aeris soothingly, still holding onto him to keep him from storming after Tifa. "How about we go have coffee together now? We haven't done it this week yet. Come on. It'll take your mind off things."

"Huh - what?" Coffee sessions with Aeris were a weekly thing that he looked forward to, but right at this moment he didn't feel like it. Cloud opened his mouth to reschedule when he saw what Aeris was holding in her hand - her phone, and dangling off it the purple accessory.

"Hey, Aeris..."

The change in his tone made her quizzical. "Yes, Cloud?" she asked.

Cloud was having trouble stringing two words together. He was feeling very bashful and sheepish all of a sudden.

"Er... you... you know that phone accessory?"

She frowned, but nodded, holding up her phone. "You mean this? It's very pretty."

His eyes followed the swinging purple thread, and he lost his nerve and let out a chuckle, "Yeah, it is, isn't it? Very pretty."

She was looking at him oddly now and giggled, "Cloud, I don't think you should be accusing Tifa of mood swings - what's with you?"

"Oh, nuh," he said, trying to be nonchalant. "I was just thinking how... nice it is. Tifa's very talented, isn't she?" He sounded like an idiot.

"Hmm."

The blonde cursed himself, wondering why he couldn't work up the nerve to ask for the stupid - no, _not_ stupid - _pretty_ - accessory back. And then he said in a rush, "But I was wondering if you wouldn't like something else instead. I'll buy something else for you. How about a little jingly one, those are nice. Or a shoe? Lots of people have them dangling off their phones these days - "

"Cloud," Aeris cut in, her mouth quirking. "Seriously, what's the matter with you? Do you..." it hit her, and her voice went lower with comprehension. "Do you want this back? Does Tifa want you to get it back?"

Cloud took a deep breath and finally nodded.

"I don't know, she didn't say too much about it, but I think she was a little upset," he said tranquilly. "Well... you see, she made it for me as a present when my grades rose, and I don't think I should have given it away. Sorry, Aeris, but could I... have it back?" He looked sheepishly at her.

Aeris hesitated, "Is that what all this is about?" She gestured towards the restaurant and he gave a half-shrug. She pursed her lips and then unhooked the accessory off her phone, saying quietly, "Of course. I didn't realise it was coming between you two."

Cloud barely heard her. He was too elated with his success, and as he held the delicate purple thread in his hand, he appreciated just how pretty and intricate it really was.

He took a deep breath and looked up earnestly.

"Thanks, Aeris. Listen, I'm sorry, but can we have our coffee session on another day? I've got something to do..."

* * *

Tifa sat on her bed, trying to keep her mind off the day's events by burying herself in a book. As soon as she was home, she had said a quick hello to Mrs Strife before going upstairs to change into some comfortable trackies and a jumper. Tifa knew she was being childish and silly, "not talking" to Cloud, but she couldn't help it. Cloud seemed to bring out the immaturity in her.

Cloud... Her bottom lip got caught under her teeth and she lowered her book.

There were too many emotions running through her whenever she thought about him today. First, she had been downright annoyed at him; that was easy enough to understand, their whole relationship seemed to be based off annoyance. But then there was the subtle, underlying hurt beneath that annoyance, hurt that he had traded away something she'd made for him so easily and flippantly. And of course, the strange mixture of joy and concern she had felt this afternoon when he had appeared at the restaurant.

He _had_ looked out for her, Tifa grudgingly knew, and she was grateful for that, too. But the annoyance (or was it something else?) won out when she looked at him, because it wasn't only annoyance towards him, but also to herself and the many mental states within her.

Tifa groaned, shutting her eyes.

_I __am__ coming down with something. Oh, dear._

Her door opened suddenly and she blinked when Cloud himself entered, his step and stance so eager and bright it was as if this afternoon had never happened. Tifa frowned, austere. It was like a reflex action now.

Grinning, he sat on the edge of her bed, pulled out a large cookie from the paper bag in his hands and held it out to her.

"There you go."

"What's this?" she asked testily, not budging.

"Your favourite cookie in the world, of course," he said grandly, still holding out the enormous biscuit. "Chocolate and macadamia. I bought it from the best place in Nibelheim."

Somewhat surprised that he knew what her favourite cookie was, she looked down at her book again. "I don't want it."

"Oh, really?" he raised his eyebrow, then dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "I guess I'll just have to call Vincent then and see if he'll eat it." He made a great show of wriggling his phone so that the purple accessory dangled in front of her eyes. She looked up again, scoffed, then looked down.

Cloud frowned, having anticipated a much warmer reaction.

"Hey, don't you care that I got it back? The beautiful, intricate, unique accessory my wife made for me?" He was laying it on thick to appease her, but Tifa's resolve was rock solid. On the surface, at least.

"No, I don't care," she said loftily. "I thought I already told you that. So you can take your cookie away if it's meant to be a peace offering - there's nothing to pacify because there's nothing I _cared_ about in the first place."

She wondered if that even made sense.

"You _didn't _care?" he said incredulously. "Then what was all that hubbub this afternoon?"

"Exactly what I was about to ask," she replied haughtily, finally looking at him in the eye. "I thought _you_ were angry at _me_. What was all that talk about 'you dragon' and 'I'm tattling on you to Father'?"

Cloud marshalled his thoughts. Outwitting Tifa took a lot of mental effort.

"I'm not angry," he said tonelessly. "I care as much as you do."

"But I don't care."

"Exactly."

"So you're _not_ angry?"

"Only if you are."

"Huh," said Tifa, mouth twitching. "And you thought I was angry at you?"

"Hypothetically."

"And what is that meant to mean?"

"Ugh, never mind," Cloud rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine, it's not a peace offering then. It's a gift. Now just eat the cookie."

"I don't want it."

"And why not?"

"Because it's almost dinner time. It'll ruin my appetite."

He stared at her, eyebrows furrowed as though trying to figure her out. And then he gave up, shaking his head and exclaiming, "Tifa Lockhart, you're impossible!" He stood up and threw the paper bag at her, "Save it for dessert then."

Tifa snorted when he had gone out. She looked at the cookie and smiled.

"Idiot," she murmured.

Annoyance had won over once again, but there was another feeling lingering in her messy concoction now: affection.

* * *

Anxiety levels began to pick up as the end of the school year approached. Seniors were buried underneath piles of study notes and the amount of homework and revision increased alarmingly, even though the final exams were still a few months away.

Before all that, however, there was still one event students looked forward to: the senior dance. Of this there were many traditions. First, the dance was almost like a graduation ball and students were expected to be on their best behaviour, dressing formally for the occasion. Second, parents and family were invited and expected to attend. And third, the two class presidents of the year always shared a dance at the start of the evening.

Tifa wasn't bothered by this when it was announced. The other president, Seth Lee, was a nice, smart boy whom she had worked together with for the last few months, and learning a dance with him was no problem.

Cloud, on the other hand, was a different story.

"Dancing? With him?" he burst out unexpectedly so that the others started. "What the heck's wrong with this school?"

"Hey, calm down," she chided. "It's our school tradition."

"Well, it's stupid," he folded his arms stubbornly. "And I'm not going."

"Ugh, I knew he would act like this," Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Hey, Cloud, it looks to me as if you're _jealous_. Are you afraid your wife is going to run away with Seth Lee?" She grinned slyly as his eyes ignited.

"_Jealous_? Of what?" he scoffed. "_My wife_ is so dead clumsy that Seth Lee will probably end up in an ambulance by the end of the night."

Tifa frowned at him, but it was Vincent who cut in, "Then just go to the dance." He couldn't resist himself and added, "If you're _really_ worried, you can keep an eye on her during the night."

Cloud gave him a dull look.

The bell rang and the rest of their grade milling around the courtyard started to disperse, having missed some of last period to hear the dance announcement. Cloud and Tifa bickered as they went to get her bike; his one had a flat tire again, but at least this time he offered to ride it.

"But you're _married_," he placed heavy emphasis on the word as he wheeled the bike out and swung himself over it. "They can't honestly expect you to _dance_ in front of the entire grade plus their families with another man. It's not modest."

She rolled her eyes, climbing on behind him. "Really, Cloud, what century do we live in? It's just a dance."

"Yeah... well... it's _Nibelheim_!" he seemed flustered as they pedalled out to the streets. "The place that forces two teenagers to get married just because they slept in the same bed for one night." She blushed at this memory and he, too, sounded embarrassed, which was why he hurried on, "So I would've thought they'd be more uptight about letting a married woman make so much as eye contact with another man... And dancing requires physical contact - "

Tifa tried to hold back her giggles, but she couldn't help it. Cloud's rambling was extremely entertaining.

"What's wrong with you?" she gasped through a barrage of giggles. "Are you actually _jealous_?" The notion was entirely absurd and laughable. To her, at least.

The bike suddenly swerved and almost careened into a tree; Tifa shrieked and held on tighter. Cloud was rigid as he continued pedalling, "Okay. Pretend that didn't happen."

"Huh. Okay. I just won't say anything now."

He sighed, "That might be an idea." Then muttered, "Stupid dance."

She stuck her tongue out at his back, her arms holding onto him loosening slightly. But with another sigh, he took one hand off the bars to place it over hers and pull her arms more firmly around him. "You better hold on tightly, you klutz, or you're going to go flying off." His voice took on a lighter tone as he added, "Hmm, that's a reminder. I'll be there at the dance with some bandages."

Tifa was torn between hitting him or simply laying her head on his warm back and enjoy the moment peacefully. She went with the latter and smiled as they rode home.

The dance was all girls could talk about in the coming weeks. Boys were aghast at how many girls their school suddenly seemed to contain, especially since they had the manly and noble task of asking one of them as a date. And everywhere, in classrooms, corridors, even during morning assembly, girls were talking about dresses, girls were talking about partners, girls were talking about... well, girls were just talking. And giggling. And squealing. And behaving in what Cloud thought was a ridiculously excited and wholly unnecessary manner.

He had sincerely hoped Tifa and even Yuffie wouldn't be sucked into this obsession. Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed. The girls acted as though the boys were part of the architecture at lunch time as they chattered animatedly about their dresses. Yuffie had bought hers over the weekend; Tifa was doing up one that had belonged to her mother.

Despite all the excitement, studying was still a top priority, and Cloud was spending a lot more time alone in his room poring over his books and notes since Tifa was never "around" anymore - at least in the spiritual sense. If she wasn't at after school dance rehearsals with Seth Lee, she was studying in her room; otherwise, she was working on her dress. Her mind always seemed to be elsewhere these days.

And Cloud felt rather annoyed. What was the big deal about this dance? It was like an extraterrestrial force taking over the minds of the female populace.

_I can't wait for all this to be over,_ he thought gloomily, peeling an apple at the kitchen table. His mother sat opposite, also peeling some fruit. She was laughing.

"You can't blame this dance, dear," she said jauntily. "Girls tend to go a bit crazy over these things. But I don't think I like the look of poor Tifa these days; she seems really tired and overworked, what with these dance rehearsals and her fixing up her mother's dress... They should really hold this dance after all the exams are over."

"Why don't you fix the dress, Mum?" he asked.

"I would, but she was really insistent on doing it," sighed Mrs Strife, arranging the apple slices on a plate. "I suppose I wouldn't know how to fix it to her liking, anyhow. I guess it can't be helped. You," she added sternly. "You take good care of her, okay?"

Cloud made a pouting face, "How can I? She's always so preoccupied these days. I'm lucky if she graces me with some eye contact."

His mother laughed, "Oh, you." She flicked her head to the direction of the stairs, "Tell her to come down and have some fruit."

"Yes, ma'am." He chuckled as he ducked under his mother's swat and lumbered up to the second floor. He pulled on the handle and opened the door.

"Hey, Tifa, co - "

Tifa was slumped over her desk on her floor, fast asleep on a long, light purple gown spread out in front of her. Cloud watched her for a moment, a soft look creeping over his face. He approached her tentatively, scooping her up in his arms and laying her on her bed. She mumbled and turned on her side, looking exhausted, and he covered her with a blanket.

* * *

A/N: Yay, you guys are awesome. :) I'm glad to hear so many of you are into the drama now because of this story. As for dear Aeris, I'm trying to make her as likeable and understandable as possible while she serves as... one of the antagonists. Because I do actually love Aeris from the game! In this fic, it's her selfishness that's her biggest flaw; she's too used to getting her own way because that's how she grew up. And I'm sorry there aren't too many Cloti moments so far! It's a slow and steady process, but they _are_ falling for each other, I swear. :D Tifa came to some awareness in this chapter. And if she was to leave right now, Cloud would feel... a little lost. :) Please keep reviewing! - msq.


	10. Shifting Times

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII and the Korean drama _Sassy Girl Choon-Hyang_. ;)

**Golden Sonnet**

**Chapter Ten**

**

* * *

**

"So, Cloud. No date?"

Cloud rolled his eyes, "Of course not. I'm still the big, scary boy from Midgar, remember? No one wants to be near me."

Yuffie grinned and said slyly, "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that." For answer she glanced at a cluster of girls standing nearby, all rather giggly and sneaking looks at him. Cloud choked on his drink and turned away at once.

"See?" Yuffie said deviously. "You should've brought yourself a partner; now they'll be hounding you all night."

Cloud groaned, trying to hide his face. "What's wrong with his place?" he hissed as Vincent snickered. "Isn't Tifa my partner by default?"

Yuffie flashed her pearly whites at him, "I was under the impression that Tifa was dancing with somebody _else_ tonight."

She looked pointedly to the middle of the dance floor where the two class presidents had already taken their position, ready for their opening dance. Cloud scowled and forced himself to look elsewhere; his gaze glided over the long refreshment table to the orchestra and band sitting on the stage, over the balloons and streamers that decorated the hall, to rest upon the guests' seating area. He spotted his parents there, talking with Mr Lockhart and Aunt Rina, joined also by Aeris; Cloud had invited her to come along.

The night of the dance had finally arrived - not that Cloud was particularly thrilled about it. He thought dully of how he had spent most of his early evening today, struggling with the new tie his mother had bought while Tifa jabbered on impatiently outside his door about how she never knew men could take longer than women to get ready.

She looked nice tonight, Cloud had to admit, and he was only too aware of the way many guys - not just this problematic _Seth Lee_ - were staring at her. It made him feel exasperated and strangely protective, like he wanted to step in to shield her from their not-so-innocent ogling.

But that was all weird and nonsensical, so he contented himself by sitting alone at the refreshment table and staring beadily as other couples joined the dance floor after Seth and Tifa's opening number. Cloud was also only too aware of the giggling girls still glancing at him hopefully.

_Stupid dance. I knew I wouldn't like this._

"Cloud, you wallflower! Why aren't you dancing?"

Tifa was moving to him with a rapt expression, flushed from all the dancing - _with Seth Lee_, he added instinctively - and glowing with excitement. He nodded at her and said blandly, "I see you're enjoying yourself. Just one dance with Seth Lee, eh?"

She blushed as she took the seat beside him, "Well, it was meant to be! But... well... he did... kinda say that... that..."

"That what?" he pressed on, watching her closely.

She was now crimson-faced and blurted out quickly, "He said he has a crush on me! But I'm not sure if he was joking or not, he probably was, now that I think about it - "

"He _what_?" Cloud yelped, interrupting her babbling, "Tifa - you _can't_ dance with this guy."

"Why not?" Tifa frowned, still pink in the face. "He was probably just teasing me - "

"Oh, listen to the ignorant girl," the blonde muttered to no one in particular before turning back to her, "Fine, fine, go and keep dancing with him. I actually feel sorry for the guy, having to put up with the clumsiest thing in the world."

"Huh," she said haughtily, flaring up. "Fine then, I _will._"

"You can't be serious," Cloud burst out, frowning most severely. "Don't you have any regard for yourself? What about my parents - your family? They'll be wondering why you're always in the arms of another man!"

The words were ridiculous and sounded oh-so out of place, but he was too indignant to care.

Tifa quirked an eyebrow and said coolly, "You know, you're taking this 'overprotective and overbearing husband' thing a little far."

He shrugged, indifferent, "Try and stop me."

"Try and stop _me_ from dancing, then," she retorted with a triumphant little smile, and with a flounce she was off, floating back over the dance floor. Cloud grit his teeth, unable to believe how stubborn she could be sometimes.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid dance, _he thought savagely, just as one of the girls from the giggly bunch appeared in front of him. He blinked, taken-aback.

The girl was bold and confident; fluttering her eyelashes, she asked sweetly, "Would you dance with me?"

Cloud stared at her one moment, on the point of refusing, when he saw Tifa and Seth again from the corner of his eye. An idea sprung in his mind and he smiled grimly before nodding at her request. "Sure," his words came out a little muffled since his teeth were still clenched.

The girl looked smug as she led the way onto the dance floor; Cloud followed, a little disconcerted. Then they started to dance, following the beat and the notes of the music. He kept a beady eye out for his target; Seth and Tifa were dancing not too far away.

As Cloud and his partner waltzed closer to the dancing couple, Tifa shot him a funny look; he returned a grim smirk before accidentally-on-purposely tapping her ankle with his foot, causing her to stumble with a gasp.

"Are you alright?" asked Seth in concern as Tifa steadied herself and glared at the blonde, who had moved away quickly with the soberest expression in the world.

She turned back to Seth and half-smiled, nodding quickly.

The students continued to dance in time with the music, sweeping over the floor gracefully and weaving in and out of other couples. When Seth and Tifa moved closer a second time, Cloud took the opportunity to trip her up again before waltzing off with his partner. He suppressed a grin; she tutted peevishly and scowled.

_He wants to play games, does he? Fine._

Taking the lead, Tifa started pulling Seth in time with the exuberant music. She waited until Cloud and his partner were right beside them - then with a wicked grin, she veered over forcefully so that he was knocked off course.

"Whoa - !"

"Oops! Sorry," she said innocently as they straightened themselves.

Cloud's jaw was set rigidly, "You should watch out next time," he told her.

"_You_ should watch out from now on," countered Tifa dangerously. Their partners glanced apprehensively at the pair before pulling them away.

The dance continued - and so did the games. When Seth and Tifa broke apart for a moment, Cloud deliberately cut between them while twirling his dance partner; Tifa paid back the gesture by elbowing him hard in the back so that he yelped and spun around. Cloud clenched his teeth and went after her, still under the pretence of dancing, to hit her behind the knees with his own; she crumpled and almost lost balance. By the time she had steadied herself, Cloud was already on the other side of the dance floor, his taunting grin barely concealed. Tifa chewed on her lip, irate beyond all measure._ Oh, that does it!_

"You're not going after him again, are you?" Seth asked warily as Tifa led him quickly across the floor, weaving between the other couples.

She gave him an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Seth."

Her burgundy eyes flashed maliciously as they zeroed in on Cloud, just a few feet away with his back turned to her. Holding her breath, Tifa glided closer and then hooked her foot around one of his, trying to trip him over.

But somewhere along the way she lost her balance herself and shrieked, falling backwards. Cloud twisted around and abruptly caught her in his arms. But that wasn't the last of the catastrophes, because he was still falling towards her, jerked down by her sudden weight.

His bright blue eyes, round with shock, coming closer and closer were the last things she saw before their lips crushed together.

* * *

"You're crazy," she said sourly.

"_You're_ crazy!" he shot back. "Who told you to come outta nowhere and try to trip me over? Word of advice: never do that again! You're too clumsy to own any limbs."

Tifa opened her mouth to retaliate but Aunt Rina dove in and forced the two apart, putting an arm around them as they glared daggers at each other. "Hey, hey, there's no need to fight," she said soothingly. "It was just an accident - what's the big deal?"

"The big deal, auntie," Tifa said viciously, eyes still blazing fixedly at Cloud, "Is that _he_ bruised _my_ lips with his insanely leaden mouth - "

Cloud's expression was one of fury but his father intervened, saying swiftly, "Now, now, let's not ruin the evening with pointless bickering. How about we all go out for a midnight snack? Ice cream?" Mr Strife glanced brightly around their small crowd, "Aeris, you'll join us too?"

At once Cloud's head snapped up. _Aeris!_ He'd forgotten about her amidst the hubbub; his heart stopped in a panicked frenzy as he realised that she'd seen everything; the dance, the pranks, the _kiss..._

Groaning internally, he sheepishly met her eyes and she looked back, her gaze guarded and uncertain. He tried to crack a smile.

"Come on, darling." Aunt Rina put a placating arm around Tifa and half-pushed her out of the school hall; the brunette was flushed with indignation and her hair was coming out of its elaborate curls. Similarly, Cloud's top two buttons were undone and his tie was loose. It had been an eventful evening.

"Hey, Aeris..." he said hesitantly as he fell in step beside her. She glanced at him and flashed a small smile.

"Hey, yourself. Are you alright?"

Cloud nodded guiltily, "Yeah. Don't worry about me." Then he sighed, touching his lips and frowning, "Geez, that dragon sure has a hard mouth though."

Aeris' smile tightened a little, but he didn't notice, "You always get worked up over her, huh?"

He chuckled once, "Yeah, I guess."

She looked sullen as they reached the car park where the rest of the family stood, chatting in the cold night. Tifa was wedged between her aunt and her father, still looking fierce as she glanced up. Aeris noticed her attention and she quickly turned to Cloud, reaching out to touch his lips with her fingers. Tifa stared.

"So it really hurts?" asked Aeris in concern as Cloud started at her touch, "Do you want some lip balm or something?"

The blonde boy looked rather alarmed and shook his head hastily, "Oh! N-no. I'm fine."

Aunt Rina also noticed this gesture and pulled her niece closer to her, whispering, "They seem close."

Tifa forced a smile, still watching. "Yeah, they are," she conceded ruefully. "Like real brother and sister."

An irritable and huffy silence manifested itself between Cloud and Tifa that night and the next morning at breakfast, broken only when Cloud couldn't take it any longer and said this was childish. Another squabble was the end result, in which he accused her of being clumsy and foolish, and she retorted that he should have just let her fall to the ground ("That would have been better than your lips of iron!").

After breakfast, Tifa went back to her bedroom to tidy it; her eyes lingered on her mother's dress for a moment and she grimaced, thinking back to the dance. She was just making a mental note to take it to the dry cleaners when she stopped short and glanced at her calendar, realising the date with a small jolt.

_Tomorrow is the anniversary of Mum's death! How could I forget?_

She bit her lip, wishing fervently that she and Cloud just hadn't fought. Every year, they went up to the mountains to visit her mother's grave, and she knew her dad and her aunt would want Cloud to come along; he was part of the family now, after all.

"Stupid, stupid boy. Stupid, stupid dance," she mumbled disconsolately, staring up at the ceiling. "Why do we always have to get so annoyed at each other?"

After a while of stalling and thinking and ranting and mulling, Tifa went out and spent the day at the main street. She dropped her dress off at the dry cleaners and paid a visit to the cake store, bumping into Rufus Shinra there. They had randomly met and talked a few times since the restaurant incident and Rufus was as cordial as usual, despite her initial fears - or even more so, since Tifa was one of the few people he warmed to.

"Sampling the cakes?" she asked with a smile, standing in line to pay.

Rufus looked mildly intrigued all of a sudden, "Actually, no. I just came here to get coffee. It didn't occur to me that this was a cake store." He shrugged, "They're all the same in the end."

Tifa pretended to be scandalised, "Absolutely not! This place is _famous_ for its cakes. You have to try some."

Rufus smiled slightly at her earnestness and he glanced down into the box she was holding, "Why don't you recommend something, then? Is that... blueberry cheesecake?"

"Oh," Tifa smiled ruefully, also glancing into the box. "I'm not really a fan of cheesecake, actually."

"Then why are you buying it?" he asked, nonplussed, and Tifa hid a grin; as clever and intelligent as Rufus Shinra was, he was definitely simple-minded about some things.

"Because it's not for me," she said slowly and clearly.

"Oh," Rufus still seemed perplexed.

It was early evening by the time Tifa got home, merry and spirited once more as she climbed upstairs. She found Cloud half-dozing at his desk, but he jerked up and cleared his throat loudly when he saw her coming in, pretending to be immersed in his studies.

Tifa grinned, walking across the room and holding out the box of cakes, done up with a ribbon like a gift. "Here you are."

He looked up, frowning, "What?"

"Your favourite cakes, of course!" she said affably, opening the box up for him. "Blueberry cheesecake, right?"

Cloud stared down at them for a second before raising his head sceptically, "Is this a peace offering?"

"Err... kind of?"

He chuckled in a scoffing manner, passing the box back. "Forget it," he said emphatically. "There's nothing to pacify because I'm not mad, or annoyed, or emotionally unbalanced in any way. I am perfectly neutral."

She stared at him for a moment. "Fine then, it's not a peace offering," Tifa said yieldingly. "It's a gift."

"Oh really?" Cloud raised an eyebrow, a tiny glint of humour in his eyes. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"Why are you being so difficult?" she exclaimed, frustrated. "Just eat them!"

"Well, you see," he said in a sober voice. "It's almost dinner time. I don't want to ruin my appetite."

Tifa rolled her eyes, "Save it for dessert then," she said stoutly, dropping the box and fully intending to leave the room. Cloud, however, chortled and called her back, "Wait."

"_What_?"

His expression was mirthful as he said, "Just spit it out, Tifa. You came in here to tell me something, right?"

"What?" she said again, this time sounding surprised.

"I know you better than you think," the blonde said emphatically, swinging around in his chair and chewing on his cheesecake. "You obviously want to say something to me. Well, I'm listening."

Tifa was speechless as he looked at her intently. Was she that obvious?

"Well," she finally said, "My family and I are going to visit my mother's grave tomorrow; it's a yearly thing we do, and I know they'd want you there too, so..."

Cloud's mirthful expression disappeared in as he took in her words; he frowned and sat up straighter. "You bought a box of cakes to tell me this?" he asked incredulously.

"Well... sort of..."

He shook his head, though she didn't know why he was so agitated. "Of course I'll go," Cloud said heavily. "I'm not disrespectful. Besides, I have to meet my mother-in-law someday, right?"

She brightened a little, "Really? We'll have to make an early start."

"Ah, that's nothing," he waved an airy hand, using his other one to pick up another cake.

And indeed Cloud wasn't as grumpy as he usually was in the morning the next day; in fact, he was positively cheerful and alert as they boarded the coach that would take them up the Nibel mountains. Aunt Rina kept them all talking by happily detailing her plans for Cloud and Tifa's official wedding ceremony (she was very much into it now, given how opposed she was to the marriage in the first place); Mr Lockhart was amused and offered his own input every now and then; and Cloud and Tifa, though embarrassed, also raised their own objections and suggestions.

At last they reached the mountain cemetery and found Tifa's mother's tombstone. Tifa put fresh flowers in the vases and her father laid a large bouquet on the grave. For a quiet moment, father and daughter stood hand-in-hand and looked at the picture of the woman with the pretty face and kind brown eyes.

Cloud had his turn, too; he went up to the grave and bowed, sympathy weighing at his heart when he saw Mr Lockhart's sad face. Tifa caught his eye and gave him a small smile.

They went for a walk afterwards, down the sloping, grassy hillside, leaving Aunt Rina and Mr Lockhart at the cemetery. Cloud breathed in the fresh mountain air, enjoying the feel of the sun on his face. It was surprisingly warm up here, and pretty, too. The sky was a clear blue with only a few wisps of white clouds lingering by. In the long, airy grass dotted here and there with dandelions, they both sat down and gazed out toward the peaceful scenery.

"Daddy always spends some time by Mum's grave, just sitting and looking and thinking. He remembers everything about her," Tifa smiled nostalgically. "He really lets himself mourn and grieve for her, just this one time of the year. I used to stay with him and cry, but I stopped when I was old enough to realise that watching me do so hurt him a lot. And I knew Mum wouldn't want me to be sad, either."

Cloud looked at her, a faint frown in place. "Was it... hard?"

Tifa sat meditatively as the breeze floated through her hair and played pleasantly across her face. She nodded slowly, the sad and pain-filled memories creeping back upon her. She put on a brave smile, looking back at him, "But we all pull through in the end, don't we? I still really miss her, of course, and I know Dad feels lonely at times, but we've got each other... and then there's Aunt Rina, of course, whose personality is twice that of an average person's."

Cloud chuckled, inwardly admiring her strength.

The idle warmth of the sun was pleasant and relaxing as they sat on the grassy hillside, occasionally talking and pointing things out in the sky. They both fell asleep after a moment's drowsy but peaceful silence, lying down in the long grass, and the sun looked as though it was about to set by the time they woke up.

"Where are they?"

They had trekked back to Tifa's mother's grave, but her father and aunt were nowhere to be seen. Cloud peered around, "It has been an hour," he pointed out. "Maybe they left already."

"Hmph." The brunette pulled out her phone and dialled; Aunt Rina picked up on the third ring, answering with a, "Tifa? Where are you?"

"I'm at Mum's grave," Tifa said warily, sure that this question was an ominous sign. "What about you?"

"You're back at the cemetery!" exclaimed Aunt Rina, shock and amusement present in her voice. "Sweetie - your father and I are on the bus right now. It's the last bus for the day."

"_What_?"

"You're with Cloud, aren't you? When you two didn't turn up after an hour, we thought you'd already left. And I couldn't call you, either, the reception up there is really dodge - I have no idea how you're calling me right now, your network must have really good coverage - so we caught the bus. Like I said, it's the last bus, so we were sure you'd already caught an earlier one..."

Tifa groaned, "So are you saying we're stuck up here?"

"Wait, your dad's going to talk to you." Tifa waited impatiently as the phone was passed over, and her father said, "Tifa? Why don't you go to Grandmother's place to spend the night? You know the way there and she'd be delighted to see you. Then you can catch the first bus in the morning. Don't worry; I'll tell Mr and Mrs Strife where you two are."

"Alright, Dad," she sighed, while Cloud looked frantically at her for an explanation; she waved her hand at him impatiently.

"And I'm sorry, angel," her father added, a touch of amusement in his voice. "Have fun and stay warm tonight. Pass that on to Cloud."

Tifa hung up, exhaled very slowly and then turned back to Cloud. He prompted urgently, "Well? What's happening?"

She tried to grin as she said, "We're staying here for the night."

He stared at her, "You're kidding me."

It took twenty minutes to walk to the grandmother's house near the tiny mountain village. A spire of smoke rose from the chimney as Tifa hurried across the yard of chickens, calling out, "Grandmother! Grandmother!" An apprehensive Cloud struggled to keep up with her.

An elderly woman came out of the house with surprising speed; her wrinkly, benevolent face was uplifted as she went out to meet them, "Tifa! Tifa, is that you?" The brunette beamed as she held the old woman's hands in her own, and Grandmother peered short-sightedly into her face, "Oh, my darling, you're as beautiful as ever. I haven't seen you in years."

Tifa nodded happily, "How are you, Grandmother? Are you well?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," replied Grandmother, just as Cloud came up sheepishly beside Tifa; the old woman looked over at him and said, "Ah, this must be your husband. Your father told me about him," she glanced at Tifa and stage-whispered, "What a handsome boy he is."

An embarrassed Cloud smiled and bowed. "How are you, Grandmother?" he greeted.

Grandmother smiled, still holding Tifa's hands. "Come in, come in," she said fussily, leading the way into her low-ceilinged house. "You children must be hungry."

After a hearty meal of stew and homemade bread, they kept Grandmother company and played card games with her, all the while talking about everything; about Cloud, about what Tifa had been up to in the last few years, about her father; and then it was their turn to ask Grandmother questions. She had lived up in the mountain village all her life and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Although she was a widow and lived alone, she said she hardly ever felt lonely since the other elderly folk in the village visited her often.

"But it was nice to be married and have company," Grandmother said rather mischievously; she nudged Cloud and said secretively, "Listen to me, dear, you're lucky to have snatched Tifa up as your wife before any other boy could get their hands on her."

Tifa froze in the act of putting down her cards and wore a look of mortification, "Gr - Grandmother!" she exclaimed.

But Cloud grinned at Grandmother and then glanced at Tifa with equal mischief in his eyes. "Yeah, I know I'm very lucky to have someone like her," he said earnestly.

Tifa blushed crimson as the elderly lady laughed, "Just as well that you know it. Such a pretty, well-behaved and clever girl, isn't she?"

"Oh, I agree," he nodded as Tifa blushed still more furiously and sent him a brief _"What do you think you're doing?"_ look. Cloud flashed her a grin and then laughed together with Grandmother at Tifa's expression.

Later that evening, after Grandmother had gone to bed, the two moved outside and sat around a crackling fireplace, trying to keep themselves warm in the chilly night. They had been gathering firewood for Grandmother, but now they were too tired and cold to move and instead were toasting themselves marshmallows, enjoying the way the fire spat out bright sparks into the air. Even toasting marshmallows ensued some playful bickering; Cloud always left his ones too long over the fire so that they either burnt to a crisp or burst into flames. To stop Tifa complaining about this, he usually threw the burning ones in her direction.

"So it's off to uni next year, huh?" he asked after awhile of cooking and eating the confectionary.

Tifa smiled tentatively, "Yup. Next year's going to have a lot of changes for me. Daddy's going to Icicle Inn, I'll be moving to Midgar..." She let out a deep breath, gazing up into the endless expanse of the sky, "It's going to be hard work."

Cloud nodded slowly, twirling his stick in his hand, "What about Aunt Rina?"

"Oh, she said she wants to live in Nibelheim for awhile. Like, for a few years," Tifa looked over the fire towards him seriously, "That's a huge thing for her. She says she wants to settle down for a bit, see if it suits her... well, that made Dad happy." She chuckled and stuck the cooled marshmallow into her mouth, "What about you?"

"No idea," Cloud exhaled; it was his turn to look up into the sky now. "That's why I kind of envy you sometimes," he half-smiled at her. "It must be nice to have goals and direction, somewhere to run to."

She gazed at him intently, "Then set goals for yourself."

"You say it so easily," he said reproachfully. "I have no idea what I want to do. School's been a safety net for me all these years."

"There must be something you want to do," she insisted, still watching him attentively.

"Nope."

"You say it so easily," she scoffed, and Cloud laughed. The way he laughed was quite endearing; it was childish and enhanced his handsome features even more, so that Tifa found herself staring at him with an unconscious smile forming on her lips.

Then, catching herself in a fluster, she quickly made to take her marshmallow off the stick, forgetting that she hadn't cooled it yet. "Ouch!" she cried, dropping it at once.

Cloud immediately grabbed her hand, concern in his eyes as he examined it, "Are you okay? Are you burnt?"

Tifa was even more taken-aback by this than by the burn and she stared at him; their eyes met for a second and then they dropped the gaze. She cleared her throat bashfully and stood up.

"I'm - ah - going to bed now. Remember to put out the fire."

"Oh," he sounded oddly blank. "Yeah."

Her heart was still pounding when she went into the little spare room she and Cloud would have to share for the night. Grandmother had set two sleeping mats on the ground with a quilt folded neatly at the end of each. A third blanket lay in between, for either one of them, but Tifa picked it up and placed it on top of the other mat. She switched off the lights and settled under her quilt, trying very hard not to think about Cloud and the closeness of his blue eyes in that one moment...

A bit later on, when Tifa was just on the verge of slipping into unconsciousness, she thought she heard him come inside. No lights were switched on, but after a moment of shuffling and moving, she felt something heavy and warm fall on her as if another blanket had been draped over her.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Yuffie sniggered quietly. "You guys spent _another_ night together? In the same room?" Her eyebrows almost disappeared behind her spiky fringe.

"Yes," whispered Tifa tartly, "But it's not nearly as scandalous as you make it sound."

The girls were staying quiet because they were in the school library, undertaking some independent study before the final bell rung. Yuffie had been very good lately in her studies, with the examinations creeping ever so near, but today she was back to her easily-distracted-and-distracting mood.

"Hmmm," she mused. "Did anything... happen?"

Tifa hurled her a severe look, "Of _course _not."

"Kidding, kidding," Yuffie muffled her giggles as the bell rung and students packed away their things, the noise level ascending as chatter and the pushing in of chairs against desks filled the room. The two girls swung their bags on and followed the crowd of students out of the school. Yuffie raised her eyebrow, spotting something in the distance.

"Oh, look who it is," she said smugly, nudging Tifa.

Tifa looked up accordingly and her mouth fell open at the sight of Rufus Shinra standing on the road, next to a sleek black car. He smiled and beckoned for her to come over.

Yuffie grinned, "I see Vinnie and Cloud back there - I'll talk to you later, Teef!" And with a bound she was gone, leaving Tifa to walk over to Rufus, wondering what he wanted.

"Hey, mister," she greeted, happily but curiously. "This is... different."

Rufus' smile became more pronounced, "Just so you know, I'm not stalking you," he said lightly. "The amount of times I saw you in your uniform informed me well of which school you must attend."

Tifa chortled and he requested, "You're not busy, are you? Come take a walk with me."

Past being surprised at strange requests, Tifa obliged and had an enjoyable stroll with Rufus around the neighbourhood while they talked.

"Can I ask you a question, mister?" she asked, her curiosity burning within her.

"Go ahead."

"How old are you?"

Rufus laughed, "I thought this question would surface much earlier, to be honest. I'm twenty-four."

"Ah," Tifa tried to arrange her face so that she didn't look too astounded. "But... but how can you be the _president_ of a company already?"

Rufus paused to think, before answering, "My father was the president, but he died unexpectedly a few years ago when I was still studying. People, especially my mother, wanted some of the other executives to take over, but I wouldn't have that. So here I am. I'm still learning, I guess, but people recognise my position now."

"Oooh," she mulled over this for a second and then laughed as she repeated, "But you _"wouldn't have that."_" She grinned up at him, "It sounds like you knew what you wanted, even before you became president."

Rufus nodded, "Of course. I've always known what I wanted... and I always get what I want."

"Huh," she scoffed. "I think you'll learn the converse of that the hard way, mister."

He chortled again and they drew to a stop at the corner of the street. Rufus looked down at her seriously, "I came to find you today because I realised I never thanked you properly for helping me find those robes that day. And since filming is finally finished, this is my last chance to express my gratitude before I leave tomorrow."

"You're leaving tomorrow?" Tifa felt a small sense of loss that always accompanied a farewell to a new friend. She wished there was a way of keeping close to everyone she had ever met.

Rufus nodded and looked around appreciatively, "I won't deny that I quite like it here, in Nibelheim... it's very different to Midgar. But anyway," he held out the bag in his hands and said smoothly, "Thank you for your help, Miss Tifa. You have been an invaluable help to the production of this new film." His lips twitched as he spoke.

Grinning at his mocking tone, Tifa took the bag and peeked into it, giving a little gasp when she saw what was inside. It was a book filled with glossy pictures, teaching different techniques in beading and creating new, and artful designs. She looked up at Rufus, her eyes shining, "Wow... thank you!"

"I heard you liked doing this type of thing, so this should help you," he shrugged, but he seemed pleased that she liked his gift. Rufus looked at her solemnly, "We'll meet next time on a professional level. You won't be a kid anymore."

His eyes glimmered humorously as she pretended to be offended, but then Tifa grinned, "Of course. It was really nice meeting you, Mister Rufus, even if our encounters were somewhat..."

"Eventful?" Rufus also smiled. "It was nice to meet you, too. Contact me anytime you're in Midgar."

She beamed up at him and nodded.

Meanwhile, a little further away at the playground in the Nibelheim gardens, Cloud and Aeris sat talking on the swings. Cloud felt a twinge of sadness about this meeting; it would be the last time he would see Aeris for a long while; she was going home tomorrow, back to Midgar. _Midgar, _he thought. It was funny how little he seemed to miss about the city, even with all his complaints about the small-town-ness of Nibelheim.

Neither of them were talking much as they swung gently on the swing set. Aeris seemed to be in a thoughtful, reflective mood, and Cloud glumly didn't have much to say either.

"It's funny," Aeris mused, still gazing at the patch of grass in front of her. "When we were both growing up, I was always the first one to do something." She looked up at him, reminiscent, "The first to go on a swing, the first to ride a bike, the first to go to school... I thought I'd be the first to get married, too."

Cloud had to grin at the affronted expression that had appeared on her face. "Do you feel cheated?" he asked.

Aeris laughed and nodded, "Yeah. Just a little."

They lapsed into quiet again; it was awhile before Aeris spoke, sounding as though she was steeling herself to make a decision.

"Once I'm back in Midgar, Cloud, I'm not going to try and contact you anymore," she said, childishly determined. "I'm not going to call you, or message you, or leave messages for you, or email you. I won't come visit anymore."

Cloud had no idea where all this had come from. "What? Why?" he asked warily, stopping at once.

There was a moment's pause in which he stared at her with a painful kind of intensity and she didn't look at him, placid and delicate.

"Because when I look at you," Aeris said quietly, her green eyes fixed out towards the trees. "I start feeling annoyed. Annoyed at myself for not realising what I had until it was too late." She looked at him tranquilly, "And then greed comes up on me, and I can't repress it, but I know I can't do anything either..." She sighed and pushed her legs off the ground so that her swing gained momentum. Cloud watched her, frowning, and Aeris slowed herself down and smiled a small smile.

"When I see you and Tifa, Cloud," she said. "It makes me feel angry and greedy because it keeps reminding me on what I missed out."

The look in her eyes and the bitter tone of her voice struck Cloud as something significant, but he found her words inscrutable, and perhaps he was unable to see the truth behind it because it seemed unbelievable.

Over the next few days, Rufus, Aeris and the rest of the Shinra Productions crew left Nibelheim, leaving the town wallowing in the aftermath of the film's excitement, and leaving Cloud unable to think of anything else except Aeris' parting words. He pondered over them restlessly, still trying to figure out her meaning. It was on his mind during school, when he was eating, when he was studying, when he was riding his bike back home and even while he showered, and yet he couldn't work it out. Tifa noticed his absent behaviour over the week, but chose not to comment on it, thinking he must just be preoccupied with Aeris leaving and the increasing strain of their workload at school. It wasn't until one night after dinner, when Tifa had gone to sit in the backyard to read a book and Cloud joined her, that she learnt what was really eating him up.

"She said... she said she feels annoyed at herself... and angry when she sees me," Cloud said slowly, still tossing the words over in his head as he neared the end of his explanation. Tifa had put her book down and was listening attentively.

"But why?" she asked, puzzled.

He hesitated. "This is the part I don't get," he said perplexedly, "She says looking at me hurts because... because it keeps reminding her of what she missed out."

Tifa fell silent as it was obvious to her what Aeris meant. What _wasn't_ so obvious was why she suddenly felt tense and a little... hurt. Pushing those feelings aside, she said yieldingly, "Cloud, you airhead. It means she likes you. She's angry at herself because she let you go without realising how much you mean to her. And that's why she can't look at you anymore, because it hurts her to be reminded of what she can't have. That's also why she says she feels greedy. Aeris... likes you. She really likes you..."

Her voice tailed away as the words really sunk in. A sick feeling settled in her stomach.

During Tifa's explanation a sunrise had been taking place on Cloud's face. His eyes brightened and a grin dawned on his lips as he rose to his feet, exuberant and positively glowing.

Tifa glanced up at him, wearing a look that she often gave him when he made a stupid mistake doing a maths formula. "Where are you going?" she asked blandly. "Are you going to run after her?"

Cloud looked at her, still glowing, "Yeah. Can't I?"

"No you can't," she said, so bluntly she even surprised herself. "Can't you see me sitting here beside you?"

"...You?" He looked as though he didn't know what she meant.

"Yes, me," Tifa asserted, still in that blunt tone. "The girl you married, remember? And right now, I can't move away from you. Not yet."

"Oh... yeah." The sudden excitement that had hung around Cloud toned down a bit as he sat back down beside her. They were silent for a moment, the only sounds being the rustling of the trees in the cool night breeze.

"You can't run to Aeris, but you can run somewhere else," Tifa continued, slightly unsure of why she was saying this. She looked at him intently as he glanced at her, confused. "Run to the university she goes to. Make sure you're in a position to find her next year when you _can_ run to her."

Cloud's eyes stretched out wide, "_Midgar University?_ You've got to be kidding me."

"You said you wanted a goal. There you go."

"Yeah, but once again, something _attainable_," he said emphatically.

Tifa wasn't perturbed, "I think you can make it to Midgar. Of course, you'll have to put in some good hard work." She looked at him seriously and he looked back warily, "There's only two months until our exams. You'll have to work really hard. Are you up for it?"

Cloud didn't know what to think; things had happened so quickly, just one week ago he had no goals, no ambition, nowhere to run to... and now... _This is crazy,_ he thought feverishly, _Midgar University... me... that just doesn't mix. And yet..._

He thought about his parents; how proud and happy would they be if he actually did get in? And then of course he thought about Aeris. The admiration and surprise glowing on her face made his heart pound a little faster. And then he turned and looked at Tifa, and a part of him realised he wanted to achieve this for her too, after everything she'd ever done for him.

He looked up, a determined spark in his azure eyes.

"Okay," said Cloud, "Let's do it." He grinned at Tifa and held up his palm for a high-five, "Midgar University!"

Tifa smiled back and slapped her hand into his.

And so the rigorous studying began. With only two months to go before the final exams, the senior grade were working more tirelessly than ever. The school semester finished early for them so that they could devote entire days to revision. Teachers gave their heartfelt good luck and farewell speeches, handing out emails and even telephone numbers so that students could contact them if they needed help.

Cloud and Tifa were constantly shut up in their rooms, with Mrs Strife sending up drinks and plates of healthy snacks to keep them going. Often, the two went into each other's domain to work together. Their rooms could not have been more of a contrast; Tifa couldn't stand working in a messy place and so was perfectly neat and ordered, all her books and notes organized by subject and colour-coded. Cloud's walls, on the other hand, were covered in dozens of notes, carrying random economical facts to maths formulas to quotes from his English texts. His books were spewed across the floor so that Tifa had trouble navigating her way around, and only his desk was clear so that they could both sit there and compare their notes. The only thing they had in common was their calendar, crossing off the days to the exams.

The weather was growing warmer too, so that instead of always being hunched over desks indoors, Cloud, Tifa, Vincent and Yuffie took their books to the gardens and sat in the pleasant shade of cherry trees to test each other and write up their essays. These were their more relaxed study sessions and kept them human during the otherwise gruelling period.

Then the exams came, and frayed nerves were steadily repaired as the period slipped by, almost sneakily and quickly, given the level of anticipation and preparation for it. The relief that followed the completion of each exam was quickly strangled by the panic of the following one - until, suddenly, they were over, and nothing awaited the hard-working students except for a gloriously long holiday. And of course, the results.

On the final day of their exams, Cloud and Tifa were completely, mentally exhausted, as if their exhaustion during the last few months had held back all this time to crash down upon them at this moment. Their parents threw them a celebratory dinner and the six of them sat in the Strifes' dining room enjoying a sumptuous meal.

Cloud and Tifa enjoyed the next few weeks of their golden holiday to the fullest extent. It was a treat to simply walk through the gardens without the weight of exams on their shoulders. Yuffie dragged them out to exciting places to do exciting things, and Tifa made a special visit back to her mother's grave to place fresh flowers on it and say a little prayer of her own.

Then, on one exceptionally warm day, the results came out in the mail. The tension in the Strife household was so thick a knife could have cut through it, but it was dispersed in just one tearing open of the letter; Tifa had got into her course straight away; Cloud was on the waiting list.

The next few days were sombre but at the same time, restless. Though Cloud said he was glad to have a chance at all at getting in, Tifa knew he was still disappointed and anxious. Mr Strife was plainly also anxious and kept pacing about when he was home, a tense look on his face, and Mrs Strife, after seeing how hard Cloud had worked these months, honestly did not think there was any justice in the world if her son didn't get in.

"Man, that must be hard," even Yuffie was sympathetic to Cloud's plight. "Don't worry, me and Vinnie will be crossing our fingers for him." Vincent had also made it into the university, while Yuffie had no plans to attend at all although she, too, was going to Midgar.

Tifa sat on the bench by the basketball courts; it was late at night, after dinner, and she had followed Cloud out here to watch him shoot some hoops.

"You know, we should really head back now," she said timidly. "It's getting late."

"Nah," he said, jumping and throwing the ball into the hoop; it bounced off the backboard. "I've got too much energy in me. I can't get to sleep." He caught the rebound and then turned to her apologetically, "You can go back first, Tifa. You're tired."

"Oh... okay..." The brunette got up uncertainly and then she glanced at him, "You're okay, right?"

"Yeah," he grinned half-heartedly at her, bouncing the ball. "Just... a little restless, I guess. But don't worry about me. Go back home and sleep."

Tifa nodded and went home dolefully, worried about him and inwardly praying that he would make it in. _Please, let not the cut-off line be right before him..._

When she got home, she found both his parents still sitting in the living room, the cordless phone placed precariously at the centre of the coffee table. She looked at them sympathetically. They had been doing this for a few nights now, hoping and waiting with all their might for that one phone call. Tifa hitched on a smile as she brought out two cups of tea for them.

"Oh, thank you, darling," Mrs Strife said absently. "Where's Cloud, dear?"

"He's still at the courts. He'll come home later; don't worry," she smiled at her in-laws and Mr Strife nodded warmly at her.

"You should go to bed, Tifa. You look tired."

Tifa nodded and was about to leave the room when the phone rang.

Silence filled the room so quickly and abruptly it was almost tangible; Tifa spun around, her eyes wide with apprehension as she stared at the ringing device. Mrs Strife's hands flew up to her mouth as she gazed at it almost fearfully, and Mr Strife froze at the sound. The three of them stared at each other, half-afraid to speak, half-afraid to even hope for whatever news the unknown caller might bring.

All that happened in about a second, and then Mr Strife grabbed the phone and picked up, his voice trembling.

"H - hello?"

* * *

_Hope._

Cloud thought about that word, holding the basketball in his hands. He looked up at the ring above him.

"If this gets in, then I'm going to Midgar University," he said to himself, and threw the ball with a small jump. It flew through the air and hit the hoop, circling around it for a second before bouncing off the side. Cloud smiled hollowly to himself as the ball rolled away from him; it was stupid of him to bargain and gamble like this. Childish.

There was a soft chuckle behind him and he whirled around, unable to believe his eyes. Aeris stood there on the court, holding the basketball in her hands. She looked different from the last time he had seen her a few months ago; she had done something to her hair so that it was no longer in curls but hung straight around her face, but the new look suited her as much as ever.

"Aeris!" Cloud was so mesmerised and surprised that he couldn't form a proper sentence; he just stared at her, taking in her appearance and savouring the happiness it brought him to see her again.

Aeris grinned, her green eyes dancing with merriment as she walked closer, stopping just beside him. "How about I try?" she said playfully, holding up the ball. "If this gets in, then you're going to Midgar."

Cloud smiled in spite of himself and watched as she threw the ball gracefully; it cut through the air and hit the backboard, falling straight through the hoop. Aeris cheered and turned on him at once, "Did you see that? Cloud, you got in!"

"Yeah, I got in," he agreed, still smiling.

"No, I'm being serious now," his eyes locked to her face as Aeris said slowly and deliberately, "Cloud, you got into Midgar University. I double-checked the lists before I came down here." She beamed as he gradually took in the news, "Congratulations, Cloud Strife. You're officially my fellow student."

He stared at her, unable to believe it, unable to even _dare_ to believe it. But even as his mind worked frantically to fully absorb the news, the rest of his body was already awakening to rejoice and scream and celebrate, and he began to understand that all this pent-up energy over the last week was prepared for this moment. He had got in. He had made it into the most prestigious university in Midgar. He felt as though he was about to be lifted off the ground, so uplifted and aerial was his heart...

That was how Tifa felt as she ran, her heels flying against the pavement beneath her. A huge grin was stretched on her face as she flew, running as fast as she could to tell him the news. Her heart was bursting with pride and joy; _Cloud did it! I knew he could!_

Out of breath but still grinning, she rounded the corner and reached the basketball courts, just in time to see Cloud throw his arms around Aeris and hug her.

* * *

A/N: I love you all, and I'm SORRY it took so long to update! I was on camp for a week and then I was just pre-occupied with other stuff, like enrolling for uni myself. :D For which I am both excited and afraid! But special thanks to you, my dear reader and reviewer _ann_, for leaving numerous pleas for me to hurry up and update! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter; I found it difficult to write. In my own mindset I thought it would be short and simple - it clearly wasn't! Too much happened in it and a lot of time also went by, so it got really long and complicated. Your feedback is MUCH appreciated, because I think this chapter isn't quite so good and is pretty rushed and messy. But I'm too tired and lazy to edit it with more effort. :D So here you all, the next installment to the _Golden Sonnet_ story, and also a pivotal point, too, since they've left school now. WHAT SHALL HAPPEN NEXT? Hehe, drop your comments and thanks so much for reading. :) - msq.


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